Running in the Shadows
by Igornerd
Summary: In a world of science, advanced technology and cyberspace hackers, powerful corporations control the world. Deciding the fates of masses that inhabit the urban sprawls. Yet in the corners of society, the ostracized live their lives in secret, running in the shadows. AU. Rated T for violence and language.
1. Chapter 1

**I, of course, don't own Naruto.**

* * *

_Dattebayo has logged in._

**Dattebayo:** What's up guys!

**10-10:** Naru! You're late!

**Troublesome_Deer:** Ten, you really thought he'd be on time?

**10-10: **Of course, it's about his job. He's supposed to be here earlier than us!

**Dattebayo:** Well, you see, Dolphin passed by and wanted to explain the details of our job. And he brought Ramen! How could I possibly deny?

**10-10:** ...of course, you'll choose ramen over us.

**Troublesome_Deer:** ...troublesome.

**Dattebayo: **Shikamaru, is the chat secure?

**Troublesome_Deer: **Avoid calling me like that if you're not sure!

**Dattebayo: **Whoops, sorry :P So, it is?

**Troublesome_Deer: **Yes, it is.

**Dattebayo:** See?

**Troublesome_Deer: **...

**10-10:** Cut him some slack, Bambi. He's not a badass hacker like you. He can barely use his PDA.

**Dattebayo: **Hey! T_T

**Troublesome_Deer: **Bambi? And I'm a decker, not a hacker. There's like, a world of difference.

**10-10: **Yeah yeah. So, what's the job, ramen-boy?

**Dattebayo:** Delivery job. I need to get a package and take it to a place.

**10-10: **And you need our support for a delivery job?

**Dattebayo: **Yeah, I would prefer to do it alone. More money for me. No offense. ^_^''

**10-10:** None taken.

**Troublesome_Deer: **Same as above.

**Dattebayo: **But Dolphin and Scarecrow have insisted about it, you know. The whole "there's no milk run on this job", blah blah blah...the stuff veterans always say.

**10-10:** Yes, even Green Beast tells me and the boys the same thing, all the time.

**Troublesome_Deer:** So? Why are you asking our help? Even if they insisted, you could just do the job alone.

**Dattebayo: **Either I take some people to cover my ass, or Dolphin and Scarecrow won't pass me jobs anymore. -_-

**10-10: **Ouch. :P

**Troublesome_Deer:** Sucks to be you, mate.

**10-10:** How come you're not asking Sakura or Kiba?

**Dattebayo: **Job description ask for meeting the contact alone. Which means, long range support. That's you, Ten.

**10-10:** Do you expect trouble?

**Dattebayo:** Nah, just take the usual.

**10-10: **Lock &amp; Load. ;)

**Troublesome_Deer:** You want me to hack into the CCTV of the area, right?

**Dattebayo:** How did you know? Here's the details.

_Dattebayo shared an item._

**Dattebayo: **So? What do you think?

**Troublesome_Deer:** Hang on, troublesome. Checking. Is that Little Chiwa?

**Dattebayo: **Indeed it is.

**10-10: **Poor district, still up enough to not be a slum. Tall buildings, lots of alleys.

**Dattebayo: **Yep. The meeting place is inside one of them.

**Troublesome_Deer: **So, when are you suppose to pick up the package? 

* * *

"_Next stop, Little Chiwa,"_ the synthetic voice of the monorail car's blurted.

Naruto opened his eyes, taking a moment to admire the view from the window in front of him.

The giant urban sprawl of Konoha looked just the same as always. A monolithic cold mass of concrete, metal, glass and streets.

Cold and unforgiving.

But the dawn...the dawn was beautiful.

It didn't help to soothe his irritation though. Having to work at such ungodly hour...at least it was an easy job.

He got up and walked towards the car's automated doors. The dirty car was empty, save for a pair of homeless people who were sleeping in the end of it, lying down on a row of seats.

This was not a busy line, especially at this hour of the day. All the wageworkers were still sleeping. Maybe, had he been able to have a normal life, he would have found a normal job with a stable paycheck. And he would be still sleeping.

The train finally reached the station, slowly decelerating before coming to a complete stop.

Naruto got out of the train as soon as the door opened with a hiss. He ignored the small assembly of nightshifters that started to board the vehicle to go back to their homes.

He felt a light buzz from his pocket, the sign of an incoming call on his PDA. Without stopping, he reached under his hood and pressed the earpiece connected with the device.

Naruto could see Shikamaru's face on his optic nerve, with information about the incoming call. He picked it up.

"I just arrived," he said, yawning.

"_Yeah, I can see you from the station's security cameras,"_ said Shika's voice. "_What's up with the hoodie?"_

"Camouflage. This way I'm just a random guy from the boondocks."

"_You picked an orange one, Naruto," _pointed out the bored voice of his friend.

"Orange is an awesome color," the blond defended.

"_It's more noticeable and it stands out in a crowd,"_ added Shika.

"It's the only thing noticeable about me, right now," Naruto insisted. "If anyone would ask, they would all remember the guy with an orange hoodie on. Not his face."

"_Whatever, let's move on. I checked around the meeting place. Your contact hasn't arrived, yet."_

"Bet fifty credits he's still asleep," snarked the young man. "Or he's already arrived and you can't see him."

"_Or something went wrong,"_ replied Shika.

"You're paranoid, man. It's just a delivery gig."

"_Paranoia is what keeps us alive, Naruto."_

"Yeah, yeah. Kakashi says that all the time. Look underneath the underneath and so on."

"_And he's still alive, with decades of experience."_

Naruto had to roll his eyes, but conceded that his friend had a point.

"_Back on the job,"_ said Shika after a while. Naruto was now far from the station, he could barely see it, the sky was getting a little more bright. "_Ten? Your status?"_

Tenten's face appeared alongside the small icon with Shikamaru's picture, informing that she joined the call.

"_I'm on in position, placing a nest. I can see the meeting place from here. Alley's empty."_

"Any trouble entering?"

"_Not really, but I had to use my last E-lock to enter in the building. I'll need to buy a new one, Naru. That's 250 credits as expenses on the job."_

"Are you kidding me?!" sputtered Naruto."I need that money to pay a week's rent!"

"_Sorry, Naru. You know how it is,"_ said Tenten apologetically.

"I'm starting to think we shouldn't have taken you for this job, Ten," muttered Naruto.

"_I'm here to cover your ass if things go south, blondy!" _replied the girl on the comm.

"True, but I'll need to get another gig immediately after this if I want to arrive at the end of the month _and _still have a roof on my head!"

"_Children, don't fight. I'll give those credits to Ten, alright?"_ interrupted Shikamaru before things could escalate.

"Are you sure Shika?" asked Naruto hesitantly, after a few seconds of walking in silence the half-deserted streets of Little Chiwa. Even Tenten hadn't replied.

"_Yeah, I'm not risking my hide by being on the place in person, anyway," _said the decker, matter of factly. Naruto could _feel _the shrug even by comm.

"_Fine by me!"_ chirped Tenten.

"Thanks, Shika. I'll offer you something, next time we meet at the Watering Hole," said Naruto, smiling faintly.

"_Yeah, ye_—_I've found our Mr. Suit, guys. A few blocks from the meeting place,_" Shika declared, his tone changing from 'lazy' to 'professional' in a heartbeat.

"That's good!" smirked the orange-clad young man.

"_And he's not alone,"_ added his friend with a cold tone.

"Aaaah, _shit_," murmured the blond. He hated complications on a job.

"_Told you,"_ sang Tenten on the PDA call.

"How many, Shika?" asked Naruto, avoiding to say something he might regret to the woman armed with a long-distance rifle.

"_Wait...I'm cycling to the closest camera...there. We have five uninvited guests, accompanying our man."_

"Armed, of course."

"_Either that, or they're great fans of sportive bags. Ten?"_

"_Wait,"_ replied the brunette's voice "_I see them. They just turned into the alley, they're going towards our meeting place."_ said the girl, in her 'business' voice.

"_That's five minutes from your location, Naruto,"_ added Shika.

Naruto stopped in front of a shop's showcase, making a good show to actually observe the merchandise. An ammass of horrible junk. Who buys this stuff? It was even worse than kitch. Around him, people were starting to leave their condos, starting another day just like the day before.

"Suggestions?"

"_I could always shoot all of them,"_ said Tenten, cheerfully.

"You're joking, right?" snarked Naruto.

No response came.

"_Please,_ tell me you're joking…" pleaded Naruto.

"_Of course I am," _replied finally Tenten. "_Bullets ain't cheap."_

"_I lost them, there are no cameras in that point. I can hack a surveillance drone if you want," _suggested Shika.

"No, they could spot it. Better avoid that. Tenten? Can you describe the guests to me?"

"_Matching clothes, young. They're taking their weapons out of the sacks. SMGs, shotguns, and various pistols. Cheap stuff. No muzzle discipline, no tactical formation of any kind...probably a local gang, I can see the tattoos."_

"_Mr. Suit hired a bunch of gang bangers for protection? How can he know they'll not shoot him and steal his stuff?"_ said Shika with a stupefied tone.

"Probably didn't pay them yet. Still, an idiotic move from his part," muttered Naruto.

"_Maybe Mr. Suit just wants to show some muscle and impress you?" _called Shika after a while.

"Who knows? Are they setting up an ambush, Ten?"

"_No. They're just...standing there. It's like a shooting range," _ replied the girl. She sounded genuinely confused about the 'guests' behavior.

"_I don't like this a bit, anyway. think we should just drop the job, Naruto. But it's your call,"_ claimed Shika with a final tone. "_After all, it's your life on the line." _

Naruto remained in silence for a while, not bothered by the crowd that was now marching up and down the walkway. Konoha was awakening.

He knew that he should have just ditched the job, and find something else maybe. But quitting at the first sign of problems wouldn't be professional. Rumors could start. Clients would be less likely to offer him jobs if they thought he was a quitter. It could take months to fix his reputation among his customer's circles.

Also, he needed that money. To pay the bills. To pay the rent. To pay for food.

And he was sure that Shika and Tenten did, too. Maybe less than him, but money was money.

"_Naruto?"_ called Shika, waiting for his decision.

The blond kept looking at the awful merchandise inside the shop window without really seeing it.

He touched his chest, feeling the kevlar vest under the cheap hoodie. Reaching further down, he checked his pistol, hidden inside the hoodie's pouch, to be sure he could extract it quickly if the shit hit the fan.

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

He ran a quick diagnostic on himself. He had made his decision.

"Alright," the young blond whispered.

"_What did you say?"_ asked Shika, confused.

"I said that we do the job," said Naruto, leaving the horrible shop window and starting to walk again, navigating through the crowd. "Tenten, how does our Mr. Suit look?"

"_Nervous. He keeps checking the watch."_

"Alright, I can see the alley from here. Tenten, cover me. I'll do the usual signal if things go wrong."

"_Got it, boss!"_ said the sharpshooter. Naruto could hear her taking the safety off.

"_Anything you want me to do?"_ asked Shika. "_Once you're in there, you'll not be able to talk to us. They would figure out that you've got support."_

"Just do your thing and check the area around the block."

"_Will do. Good luck."_

Naruto entered the alley to finally have his business meeting.

Showtime. 

* * *

He walked in slowly, but firmly, without showing any hesitation. His hands well visible and opened, to show that he wasn't carrying a weapon.

The men in the narrow passage saw him immediately, and tensed, watching him coming nearer and nearer.

'_At least they didn't shoot me on sight,' _he thought.

He quickly scanned the backstreet. It was dirty, humid, and it smelled bad. Probably because of a sewage drain in there, somewhere.

The place offered some cover, in case bullets started flying around, but nothing really reliable.

A rusty, broken husk of what probably once was a car, and some trash cans. A bullet with enough power could easily pass through them.

"Hello there!" he greeted.

The man in the middle was obviously his contact, Mr. Suit. It was, of course, a fake name. But it described him perfectly. Around thirty, shaved face, probably had received plastic surgery to look like a perfect businessman. His attire, that would have looked quite poor in the highest offices of the upper city, made him stand out inside the dirty alley much more than Naruto's hoodie. Especially since he was surrounded by five young gangers, with cheap clothes and bizarre hairstyles.

On his shoulder, he carried an hard-casing satchel. The package.

"Who are you?" asked the suited man, narrowing his eyes.

"Strawberry ice cream is the best," said Naruto, in an annoyed tone.

"But chocolate chip cookies are even better," replied the man, nodding.

"Sweeth tooth, Mister?" grinned Naruto. It was his best shit-eating grin. Guys like these, people that had the mania of passwords, playing cloak and dagger without knowing how it was to really live inside the shadows they tried to emulate…they irritated him.

"You're late," said Mr. Suit in a flat tone, ignoring Naruto's jab.

"And you're not alone," stated Naruto, matter-of-factly. He eyed the five goons. They looked brash, twitchy, and very nervous. Especially the one with the shotgun.

**Analysis: Subject under influence of chemical substance.**

'_Great,' _thought Naruto, clenching his jaw '_the asshole hired a bunch of junkies as bodyguards.'_

His 'business partner' just glared at him for a few seconds, not saying anything.

"Huh, you know," said Naruto scratching his orange-cloaked head, breaking the silence, "this is supposed to be the part where you give me the package, and then we go our own separate ways."

The man stared at him passively for a few more seconds, before slowly taking a PDA out from his right pocket.

There were a few beeps as he pressed a pair of buttons on the display without breaking eye-contact, then he checked the screen. He smiled.

"Your customer made the transition. I will make mine," said Mr. Suit, before passing the satchel to one of the goons. Luckily for Naruto, it wasn't the one on high.

The hired muscle got close to him, slowly. His weapon was lowered, and his finger wasn't on the trigger. He offered the satchel's strap to Naruto.

For a single, eternal second, Naruto was sure that the easy, milk run job was over. Now he just had to go back to the station, travel to the other end of the city, get paid and call it a day.

Then the echo of gunshots was heard in the alley. Everybody froze. After a few seconds, they heard the sirens, getting closer.

"Oh, shit," muttered one of the gangers, with all his brainpower not burned by who knows what drug, "he's a cop!"

"What?! No!" exclaimed Naruto, as five weapons were pointed straight at him. They remained like that for a while, with the gangers pointing their guns, but watching towards Mr. Suit, as if asking for orders. All of them, but the guy with the shotgun, who was pointing it at Naruto with his shaky hands.

"_Naruto,"_ said a voice frantically on his earpiece. Shika's icon appeared in his vision, "_there's been a robbery at a store, half a block ahead. The robbers were spotted by a police patrol right when they left the place, and a shooting started. They're _not _coming for you, so try to reason with them."_

'_What a rotten luck'_, thought the blond.

"Come on, do I look like a cop to you?" he said, in a dismissing tone, hands up.

"_Naru!"_ stated Tenten. "_I can drop them. Give me the signal."_

He could have done it. He could have just closed his left fist, and Tenten would have started to open new holes in the junkie's bodies. But Naruto doubted that she would have been able to kill or incapacitate all of them before the automatic fire of their SMGs hit him somewhere vital, at close range.

He was resistant, true. But he didn't know how much, and didn't want to test it.

No, he could fix this mess avoiding bloodshed.

"How do you explain the sirens, then?" asked Mr. Suit in a cold tone.

By the Sage, this guy was such a tool!

"Didn't you hear the shots? They're not coming here. They don't know we're here! You already paid for the stuff, if this was a bust or something you would have been already surrounded by a SWAT team, don't be an idiot." explained Naruto, harshly.

He was thinking about it. Naruto could see the suit's eyes, too bad he was taking so long. The guy with the shotgun looked really eager to press the trigger.

'_Come on, come on...'_

Finally, Mr. Suit raised one hand in a placating gesture, signaling to his rent-a-mooks to lower their weapons.

'_Yes!'_ exalted inwardly Naruto. He was pretty proud of himself, but didn't change his expression. He had to maintain appearance in front of the business associates.

Then a police over car passed right over their heads, ten stories above the alley. At top speed, with the sirens screaming.

Shotgun Junkie, startled by the sound of the law, raised his weapon, screaming.

A shot was fired.

The aim was awful, but part of the volley of pellets collided with Naruto's chest. And to the guy with the satchel's flank.

Naruto fell down because of the impact, but the vest under the hoodie had probably saved his life. Satchel Guy wasn't so lucky. His left flank exploded, spraying blood in the alley and on Naruto's clothes.

As Naruto touched the ground, a red, gaping hole opened above Shotgun Junkie's left lobe, freezing his demented expression on his face as his corpse fell to the ground.

Tenten had started to gain her paycheck.

Seeing two of their own going down, even if one was a case of friendly fire, the remaining goons panicked.

Naruto, still breathless from the buckshot's hit, saw three gun's barrels pointed at him, again.

Mr. Suit, instead of stopping them, dived for cover behind the ruined car, swearing.

The ganger in the the middle jerked back as his chest was punctured by a round, courtesy of Tenten.

In his descending arc, he squeezed the trigger of his submachine gun. Bullets were sprayed on the alley's walls, ricocheting everywhere, forcing the other two young gangers to step aside to avoid being killed by their friend's weapon.

This gave Naruto two, maybe three more seconds before they decided to empty their mags on his prone form.

At his side, he saw the fallen weapon of the guy with the satchel. He grabbed it, since its owner didn't need it anymore. Pointing it low against the two gangers, he opened fire, spray-and-pray style.

No time for finesse.

Firing multiple rounds, he peppered their lower limbs, basically kneecapping them. They collapsed on the ground, clutching their legs.

"_Naruto! Are you alright?!"_ almost screamed Tenten into his ear.

"I'm...fine, Ten," he said, slowly getting up, letting go of the empty, useless gun. "I'm just a little winded, that's all."

In front of him, the two gangers were prone, moaning and rolling in pain.

As they saw Naruto getting up, one of them, with a mohawk hairstyle and facial tattoos, gritted his teeth and tried to reach for his fallen weapon.

Naruto sprinted towards him, ignoring the fading ache on his chest. He kicked the wounded man's chin, still running. The blond felt a few teeth going loose.

Then, just to be sure, he grabbed the man's collar with one hand, slamming his head on the concrete with enough force to knock him out.

As Naruto composed himself, the last conscious ganger started rambling about how he wanted his mother. The young blond watched him, as he went to take the satchel that was laying a few meters before.

The ganger was younger than Naruto himself, probably under eighteen. He was on the verge of crying because of his wounds. Naruto kicked him in the head, so that he would not suffer until a medical unit could find them.

Then he finally recovered the satchel. He still had a job to finish.

'_But first…' _he thought, looking to the place where had hidden himself.

Naruto strode towards the car wreck, not surprised at finding the "businessman" curled up in the little space offered by the broken vehicle, trembling.

He clutched the older man by the neck, and pinned him on the brick wall. The man tried to struggle, but Naruto just strengthened his grip.

"You idiotic piece of shit!" he yelled in Mr. Suit's face.

"_Naruto,"_ called Shika on the comm. The blond just ignored him.

"You brought junkies to a simple package delivery? How stupid are you?!"

Mr. Suit tried to respond, but Naruto was so furious that he was practically strangling him.

"_Naruto!" _

"WHAT?!" he asked, yelling so loudly that some spit landed on the man's face.

"_...look towards the street," _said Shika, hesitantly.

Naruto did. He saw street where he had came from, the sun was finally shining on the city, accentuating the difference between the main street and the dark, narrow alley.

Three bodies were sprawled dawn, immobile, just outside of the passage. Five more people were twitching, screaming in pain.

He had been so focused on the short firefight, that he hadn't realized that the ricocheting bullets fired by the ganger had crossed all their way to the end of the alley. The morning crowd was so clumped on the walkway that even a few stray shots had hit multiple targets.

No, not targets.

People.

People that weren't involved in this mess.

Naruto's eyes glared at the man which he was holding the neck. He lifted him until the tips of the imitation shoes were barely touching the ground.

Naruto smelled urine.

Mr. Suit had lost what remained of his cool exterior and had wet himself.

"_Naruto! Police units are closing in. They're just out of the alley, you have to get out of there!" _communicated frantically Shika.

"_Yes, Naru. I can see them. Run!"_ said Tenten.

He had to run, yes.

But Bastard had to pay.

"Hey," he asked to the man, easing his grip enough to make him talk. "Are you left-handed or right-handed?"

"Huh?" coughed the man, stupefied from Naruto's question.

"Left hand or right hand. Which one do you use to write?"

"The left one," replied finally Mr. Suit, confused "But why—"

In a swift motion, Naruto twisted the mentioned hand, breaking a few bones into it

Mr. Suit let out an anguished scream. He wouldn't write with his left hand for a while.

Naruto let him go, and started to run towards the other end of the alley.

It was then that he heard the other voices behind him.

"Freeze! Hands up!"

He just kept running. The blond heard the wounded Mr. Suit scream for help, and saying something about the bodies. Naruto wasn't listening.

"Stop now or I'll shoot!" intimated the cop's voice.

Then he heard the sound of a bullet impacting the concrete. No sound of gunshot. What—

"Oh shit!" said in alarm the same voice. "Sniper! Go to cover!"

"Ten, what did you do?!" asked Naruto, worried that his friend made a terrible mistake.

Cop killers were hunted down like rabid dogs, everybody knew that.

"_Relax, Naru. It was just a warning shot, I missed him of at least half a meter. That way, they'll try to find me, instead of chasing you. Or shooting you," _added the girl with a snark.

"But—"

"_Enough of this. I'm leaving the nest, by the time they get here I'll be long gone. Shika, take Naruto to safety, I'm counting on you," _said Tenten.

"_I will, Ten. Good luck,"_ replied Shika. After he said so, Tenten's icon disappeared from Naruto's vision. "_Alright Naruto, the police are already sending out a dispatch about a suspect with an orange-hoodie. Ditch it."_

"Told you it was a good plan!" replied Naruto, as he arrived on the other end of the alley. He kept running, passing through the people and dodging the traffic. Luckily for him it was a local street and not a freeway. As he arrived to the other side of it, he entered the first passage he found. He could hear more sirens in the distance.

"Shika? What can you tell me about these policemen? What company are they from?"

Police, like everything, was private these days. If you had the responsibility of managing a district and you wanted some form of public order, you had to pay a police company to have that.

And the company had jurisdiction only inside areas where they had a contract.

A lot of times, if a suspect was able to escape their jurisdiction, they would let him go.

There were some cops who still chased the fugitive and took him back into their territory, kicking and screaming, and then arrested him.

But they were exceptions.

"_They're...UPP. Uchiha Private Police,"_ said Shikamaru grimly.

"FUCK!"

The Uchiha Private Police was one of the biggest companies, along with ANBU Security and a few, selected others. Their jurisdiction was huge. Their equipment was the top, almost-military grade.

Naruto had a lot of running to do.

"Kage Bushin," he muttered without stopping.

**KAGE BUSHIN, ENGAGED.**

Lines of light surrounded Naruto's running form for a second, with a low buzzing sound. Once they vanished, another orange-clad blond was running besides him.

Naruto stopped, as the decoy kept running. Unzipping his hoodie, he threw it inside a trash can.

The solid clone would last for a few minutes, or until something hit him.

Strapping the satchel to his body, Naruto started to run in a different direction from the holographic projection.

If he had any luck, he would be able to disappear before the Uchiha would understand that they had been fooled. 

* * *

His shift was almost over.

He left the 24/7 market where he usually crashed at the end of his night with a steaming cup of coffee, nodding to the clerk as he exited the door. The cheap caffeine would have helped him drive at least towards the station after the long night.

Not before giving his usual report, of course. That could take an hour or two, another hour to go home and then he could fall asleep on the bed without a problem.

It had been an easy night. Only two robbing attempts, three brawls in two different pubs and an attempted rape. He would probably gloss over in his report about how the perp for the last one was injured in the groin area.

The agent knew why he had been assigned that shift, of course. It was because his vicinity to _that man_.

That was the reason why he got all the shitty shifts. Not in the slums, of course. Too rough for a cop that always patrolled alone because of a "personnel shortage". He had always found himself assigned to poor districts with some gang activity, but not so much that required a big presence of their forces.

He was sure that someone way up in the company hoped that he would die in the streets, killed in a fight with a gang or during a drug bust. A few of the company councilors lost some old-time friends during _that night_, and they were holding a grudge against _that man_.

And they had started to redirect that grudge to him when he started to work in the force.

It wasn't just the higher-ups that rendered his life more problematic. Even the veterans in the police units joked about how he was good, but not good enough.

They still compared him to _him_.

But he would show them. He would show it to all of them.

His thoughts were interrupted by an incoming call from the central command.

"_To all units in Little Chiwa. Multiple 187, some wounded. Medical units inbound. Suspect fleeing from the scene, local units are under fire, not able to pursuit."_ said the dispatch voice.

He sighed. He was almost over with his shift…

"Dispatch, here is Unit 7. Do they need back up?"

"_Negative Unit 7, your orders are to pursue the suspect. Suspect is wearing an orange hooded sweatshirt and—"_

Orange? Could it be...nah.

"Dispatch repeat. Did you say that the suspect is wearing an orange hoodie?"

"_Confirmed, the suspect is wearing an orange hoodie. Suspect is to be considered armed and dangerous. He is using solid holograms as decoys. Last seen a few blocks from your position, I'm sending the waypoint to your bike. Good hunt, Unit 7."_

Shit, it was!

Sasuke Uchiha gulped down the whole coffee mug in one swig before jumping on his motorbike and starting the engine.

'_Naruto Uzumaki...You won't get away this time!'_

Activating his Sharingan implant, he swiftly raced through the traffic, his face set with determination. 

* * *

**A\N: There you go, this is one of the various side projects I have. Please give feedback, but keep in mind that my main focus for the time being will be Drunken Space-Time Ninjutsu.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A\N: I do not own Naruto or any of the beautiful fiction that inspired this AU setting.**

**Beta-readers: Duesal Bladesinger, PyrothTenka, Ser Serendipity, AlmostElectric and Zenthisoror.**

* * *

Run, jump, land—

Pipe!

Roll, scramble, stumble—

Sprint.

Naruto had not dared to stop since the mess in the alley, nearly half an hour ago.

"_You're almost there," _Shikamaru said in his earpiece. _"The UPP are patrolling the main streets with security drones, though. Getting you out will be tricky."_

"Next time I talk to you about a milk run… stop me," he muttered as he arrived at an intersection in the narrow back street.

"_Oh, I will. Turn left!"_

Following the decker's instructions, the blond runner-turned-fugitive arrived in a small courtyard, hidden between the passageways of the district.

It was closed off, dirty, almost claustrophobic, paved with broken cobblestones and close to one of the support beams that sustained the upper level, blocking the sky from Naruto's view.

Just like home.

"Where now?" he asked.

"_Give me a minute. I have to check something. Take advantage of this pause to rest. The security drones can't see you from there."_

"I don't need to rest," the blond said. "Not after a short run like that."

"_You're kidding me, right? I've seen you! You hardly ever move from your couch! You're not even winded? That's crazy."_

That was one way to describe Naruto's… condition. True, his body was capable of sustaining a lot of strain, much more than a simple jog through some back alleys.

The problem was, none of his friends knew about it. And they didn't need to know, thank you very much.

He was immensely grateful that Shika hadn't found out already.

Speaking of which… better change the subject, or the cogs inside the decker's head would start to turn, and fast.

"Hey, man… how's Ten?" he asked, with real concern in his voice. "Was she able to get away?"

_"She's fine. You should worry about yourself."_

"Well, you're the guy connected to the 'net. What's the plan? … Please tell me you have a plan," he added hurriedly at the end.

_"I may have something, troublesome,"_ his friend said on the other side of the earpiece, with an exasperated tone.

"I knew I could count on you, Shika! What is it?"

_"Alongside some of the pylons that keep the city standing, there are several service elevators used by the maintenance personnel. You could use one of those to go down a few levels_—_"_

"But?" Naruto asked. There was always a but.

_"But it's MegaCorp private property."_

"... You want me to escape the UPP, by trespassing on MegaCorp turf?" the blond asked incredulously.

_"And defeating their security. Don't forget about the security," _Shikamaru stated, matter-of-factly.

"Shika… you're nuts!"

_"Yeah, it's an awful plan, but it's the best I could come up with on such a short notice. If you want, there's always plan B."_

"And that would be...?"

_"Call the cavalry. Hide, wait it out for a few hours or so, until one of our own can give you a ride and then try to bypass the UPP patrols."_

"I don't have a few hours! I need to take the package to the client in—"

_"And that's why the MegaCorp elevator is the best shot we have to save this __job."_

"Seriously… my life sucks."

How true that statement was. Sadly it was lost on the lazy decker.

_"On the plus side, there isn't much surveillance on that elevator. Just a few cameras and a maybe some 'bots, from what I can see."_

"Still better than running from the UPP..."

_"That's the spirit. Now, can you see the pylon from the place you're at?"_

"Yeah...it's pretty hard to miss, Shika," he deadpanned, while gazing in its direction..

_"Good. The elevator is nearby then. Wait, I'm pulling up directions..."_

"Just tell me where I have to go to avoid the patrols."

"_You say that like it's easy…"_ Shika sighed. _"But for now the coast is clear. Just keep moving towards the pylon and stay sharp. I've got to go ahead."_

"Ahead? What do you mean?" Naruto asked as he started to run again towards his new destination, avoiding or jumping over any obstacles he found.

"_To deactivate the security around the elevator. What did you think?"_

* * *

The forest was lit by faint light emanating from the bright lines that outlined the polygonal objects scattered throughout the landscape.

Everything, from the the grass to the leaves of the highest tree, were detailed in the same monochromatic glowing vectors that made up the cyberspace around him.

And Shikamaru, his virtual persona represented in a similar way, was running through it.

The great thing about being a decker was that you didn't need a screen, you could access the 'net with your own mind. With the help of a good deck and a suitable connection, of course.

Normally, cyberspace would not look like a flourishing forest. It was just his own personal preference.

A lot of people preferred to see the digital world like a city, or an otherwise artificial structure. He had opted for a lot of trees, rocks and bushes.

One day, while he was bored, he had customized how he perceived the data around him to look like a thick woodland, just like he had given deer antlers to his virtual body.

Of course, his preferred ambience meant something only when he was in a public area of the 'net. Private places, like archives and such, maintained the settings of the programmer that had created them.

The decker looked around, starting a search for his destination with a simple movement of his hand and his mental command.

He ignored the high hill with the circle of stones on the top. It was probably some kind of public chat or social network, judging by the number of people he could see from this distance.

The place he had to enter had no people, just programs. He started to walk a narrow path almost hidden by the virtual vegetation that marked the route his search bot had found.

He was not disappointed when he came in sight of a small clearing, with a dolmen-like structure at the very center of it.

The entrance for the pylon's local security systems. It probably looked like that because this backdoor was hidden in a public space yet probably still protected.

Right on cue, he spotted a pair of figures stalking around the dolmen.

Roughly the shape of two big wolves with white bodies and red lines outlining their figures. With their size and looks, they were even scarier than Akamaru.

Not that he would tell that to Kiba. In the eyes of his feral friend, Akamaru was the scariest, most badass animal that ever lived. Which was nonsense in Shikamaru's opinion.

After all, he had met Kuromaru.

The "wolves" seemed relaxed though, meaning that they had either not detected him or were programmed to ignore everything that didn't try to approach the backdoor.

Without entering the clearing, Shika did a quick stealth scan on the two programs.

As he thought, they were some standard sentry system. Had he approached further, they would have sniffed him out and probably given a warning before attacking him.

At least they seemed to be White ICE instead of the more lethal Black ones, which were capable of frying a decker's brain.

That would have been troublesome.

And for good measure, someone had put a nice firewall on the entrance. MegaCorps didn't do things half-assed.

Now, to figure out how to get past them and enter unnoticed…

"_Hey, Shika," _Naruto's voice sounded in his ear.

Of course, the blonde knucklehead would interrupt him at the most difficult part. The fact that only he could hear him was a small grace.

"What is it, Naruto?" he said, starting to look around and beginning another stealth scan, just to be sure that there were no other guardians hidden in the area.

"_I think I see the elevator entrance. There is a fence and a lot of cameras around. But I was wondering…"_

"Yeah?" Shikamaru asked, multi-tasking as he tried to find a way to enter and deal with the blond simultaneously.

"_Since I have to step on some Corp's toes, who owns this place?"_

"Let me check, just to be sure…" he mumbled as he called a small flat screen of light in front of him and started to scroll through a flux of data. "Apparently it was built almost a century ago by the SenjuCorp. But after their decline it was bought by Sarutobi Enterprises."

"_Uh. Where have I heard that…?"_

"They own the majority of the city's infrastructure, I would be surprised if you hadn't heard the name at least _once_."

_"So I'm going to trespass on one of the city's most powerful company's property. Wonderful."_

"Stop being troublesome and wait for my signal. I'm trying to work here," Shika replied, ignoring the blond's complaints.

Time to start this show.

Shika moved his hands, creating and manipulating data he had stored in his deck, loading it into cyberspace through his virtual persona.

Polygons started to form beside him, taking the shape of a doe. Its figure was a little rough around the edges, a sign that it wasn't a very advanced program.

But it was advanced enough for his purpose.

At his signal, the doe jumped in the clearing, passing right in front of the two wolves, causing them to enter a state of pre-alert, examining the intruder.

The doe kept jumping around the dolmen, as if it was challenging the two other programs. Then, it made a feint towards the backdoor, which finally caused a reaction.

The wolves attacked the much smaller doe, that swiftly dodged before sprinting towards the forest. Taking the bait, the two sentries followed it.

Shika moved immediately towards the the center of the clearing with long strides. In a matter of minutes the doe would have either ceased to exist or been caught by the White ICE wolves.

He had to act quickly.

As he came closer to the entrance, represented by the space between the vertical supports of the dolmen, a screen opened in front of him, blocking his way.

It was asking for his employee ID and password.

Cracking a MegaCorp site just to let Naruto get into an elevator, while two White ICE programs could come back at any moment?

Sometimes, he loved his job. 

* * *

Naruto decided that he had waited in the wet alley, standing like an idiot, for long enough.

He sat against one of the pipes, the one that was not leaking, since Shika had not called him yet.

He sighed. The day had started out so well. Besides the fact that he'd had to wake up hours before dawn just to be on time for the job.

Just an hour and something earlier, everything had been utterly fucked up.

And some people had been wounded. Or had died.

He hadn't had the time to check, back in the alley where he had met with Mr. Suit. Not with the police on his tail.

It wasn't his fault.

Naruto knew this.

He hadn't taken the gangbangers to the meeting, he hadn't hired _junkies_ and he hadn't pulled the trigger.

It wasn't _his_ fault.

That didn't change the fact that he felt like shit.

"_It's done," _Shika said, interrupting his little guilt-trip.

Naruto perked up, looking towards the base of the massive pylon that stood behind the tall fence.

"What do you mean, 'it's done'? Nothing changed."

"_I've put the security cameras on loop. They'll be seeing the last five minutes of footage instead of __you."_

"You can do that?" the blond asked in awe. "That's so _cool_!"

_"Yes, well, you better hurry. The UPP has started sending drones into the secondary streets, too."  
_

"Fine, fine. Just tell me what I need to do."

"_There should be an entrance on the other side of the pylon. I will call the elevator from here, and you'll be able to use it to go down a few levels."_

"Can't I use it to go down more?"

"_Not enough time for that: if I tinker too much in this system, my presence will be traced."_

"And that would be bad," Naruto said sagely.

"_Just hurry up towards the elevator, __Naruto."_

The blond didn't need to be told twice. 

* * *

From the inside of the virtual room, Shika was able to see Naruto's progress. His presence was not being registered by the cameras, since Shika was feeding them their own previous footage simply niggling with their data node. Also, keeping the blond in his sight was handy.

You never knew what disasters could happen around him.

"_Alright, man. I'm in front of the elevator's entrance. At least, I _think_ it's the elevator…"_

"If there is a 'Maintenance—Only Authorized Personnel' sign, then it is the elevator," Shika replied, examining the flux of data around him.

The room had been built like an abstract thing, a big empty space with a constant flow of data feed all flowing into the system node in front of him, be it from the cameras or the motion sensors around the pylon.

Tricking _those_ had been more difficult than tricking the cameras, but no need to tell Naruto that.

He liked being modest, most of the time. Bragging about his skills was just too troublesome.

And it invited trouble in his line of work.

The only thing that mattered now was keeping Naruto out of the programs' eyes, so that the security 'bots remained in stand-by inside their holding area.

"_Alright, how do I open it? There are no buttons!"_

"It's normally operated through a facial recognition software and a vocal command—"

_"What? Why would someone use this kind of security on this?"_

"Because it is one of the supports for the upper levels. I'm surprised that they didn't put a minefield around it, just to be sure nobody tried anything stupid."

"_Right, because a field of hidden explosives is exactly what we need right now," _the blond lamented. _"But how am _I _going to use it?"_

"I'm telling the subroutines that controls the elevator that your face is authorized, even if the cameras are not really registering your presence," the decker explained as he placed a few inputs in the system. "There, it's done."

"_That's great! I could even offer you ramen, right now!"_

"Please, don't," Shika smirked. "And don't make that face."

"_I thought you said that the cameras can't see me?"_ Naruto pouted.

"The _cameras_ can't. _I _can. Now just stand there and wait a few minutes, the elevator will arrive soon. I'm going to delete any trace of our little stunt."

"_Alright, Shika. Take care."_

"Just don't wander around," the decker said, as he turned his attention towards the data that composed the "room" around him, mostly to distract himself.

The programs were doing their jobs on their own now, there was no need for him to check them.

But he wanted to wait until Naruto was safe in the elevator before leaving.

This time, tricking those White ICE would not be been so simple.

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted when he heard the sounds of someone clapping, right behind him. 

* * *

Naruto, holding true to Shika's advice for once, just remained in front of the metal doors.

He got bored after the first two minutes.

How slow _was_ the damn thing?!

With his luck, it had probably been all the way at the top of the pylon.

This was going to be a long wait. 

* * *

Shika stared at the newcomer.

It was not a program. No way it was one.

It was another decker.

His—or her—persona looked like a slim man in a three-piece suit, complete with a matching tie. All formed by polygons and outlines.

But the head of the person that was clapping derisively at him was not shaped like a human head.

It was the head of a pale, almost white snake, sporting a pair of round glasses.

"My compliments, little runner. You are quite talented," he—for the sake of his sanity, Shika decided to treat him as a male, as his voice sounded—hissed.

"Who are you?" he demanded, preparing to defend himself. He doubted that snake-face would have replied to him, but he had to take time.

"Me?" he asked while starting to move around him. Shikamaru shielded his programs from the stranger's view. "I'm someone that normally doesn't bother with small fries like you. However, your… tinkering with the local software is putting my own goal at risk. Do you realize that you were almost detected entering here?"

"Well, it's not like I planned to do this. I'm not looking for trouble."

"Too bad. In half a day's work, you've almost ruined what I've planned for months," the snake-man said, sounding utterly pissed. "I must admit, I'm a bit disappointed. You sneak in here completely undetected, dodging every firewall like an expert, and you're doing this on a whim?!"

"Look, I just need a few more minutes. Then I'll be gone."

"I'm sorry to say that I can't allow that. Your very presence jeopardizes my operation. You are a wild element, and I can't afford to let you go."

The virtual place _shifted_, and instead of the continuous stream of chaotic data that Shika had seen until now, it became a clean, spotless and glowing room without exits.

All had happened in the blink of an eye. The only things that didn't change was the system node, that had remained in the middle of the virtual construct.

Shika's blood had probably frozen in his real body, but he couldn't feel it thanks to the change of sensorial feedback caused by being in the cyberspace.

This guy was dangerous, he just felt it. He was not an amateur that was breaking into a place for a thrill.

This was a professional.

Then why was he in such a unimportant system?

Unless...

"You were modifying the place, weren't you? You wanted to turn it into your own data cache."

"Almost, but not quite. You see, you're good. Very good. But I'm better. I can't afford to have some amateur risking my mission when I'm so close to completing it," the snake-man said.

Mission?

Of course.

"You work for another Corp." Shika smirked. The snake's face remained impassible. "You're trying to gain access to the main archives of Sarutobi Enterprises. What is it? Corporate espionage?"

The other decker just watched him for a few seconds, before shrugging.

"You're very perceptive," the suited snake snorted. Good, keep talking. "I suppose you would not be interested in a job interview?"

"People like us don't do interviews, Scaly," he rebutted. Why was that elevator so damn slow?

"True, but I had hoped to let your guard down. Pity it didn't work," the spectacled snake sighed, before locking his gaze on him. "But what happens if I reactivate the security programs while your little friend is out there?"

Shit.

For just a blink of a second, Shika's concentration slipped towards the interface of the node besides him.

It was enough for the other decker.

After quickly creating a ball of raw, corrupt data, he threw it at Shika at an impossible speed. 

* * *

Naruto was starting to show a facial tic from how bored he was.

He could hear the muffled sound of the elevator moving now, so at least it was moving closer to his level.

Maybe it was just not made for speed. After all, it was a maintenance elevator, they had to use them to move around big loads of stuff, right?

He grumbled, turning away from the two metal doors. He was too tired to watch them.

It was just by chance that he caught sight of a camera turning towards him with a whirring sound.

And lingering on him.

That made him a little nervous, he knew it was crazy because Shika was handling it, but—

Was that light on the camera red? Why was it red?

Wasn't red a bad color?

He heard a popping noise, and two narrow niches opened beside the elevator's door with a hiss, dark and menacing.

That was not a good sign.

"Shika?" he asked, while taking a step back. "What's going on?"

Then he heard the sound of something powering up, followed by a racket of machinery, whirring gears and loud metallic thuds.

A message started to flash in the lower corner of his HUD.

**Alert. Potential Threat.**

Before he could even ask himself what had triggered that system, he found himself under the scrutiny of two heavy combat rifles.

Said rifles were in the shiny, metallic hands of two security robots, lacquered with the colors of the Sarutobi Enterprises who were emerging from the dark compartments.

"Trespasser, you're intruding on private property," one of them said in a cold, artificial voice. "Identify or surrender. Otherwise lethal force will be used."

Naruto slowly raised his empty hands, hoping to look as unthreatening as possible to the little, not really bright AI that was controlling the 'bots.

"Shika," he whispered, opening the channel again. "Shika, respond you useless, lazy—"

_"Naruto, get out_—_SHIT!"_

The communication was abruptly interrupted. If Shika had started to swear, things were really bad.

Like the muzzles pointed at his torso

He had to fight the instinct to call loudly his friend, because he was afraid that a sudden outburst would trigger the 'bots programming.

And he didn't know if he could survive two bursts of military-grade ammo at close range.

"Hey guys, it's me, uh, Jacky!" he said quickly, while checking his surroundings. "I've come here for the usual inspection to the elevator, and—"

"Subject 'Jacky' not found. ID not found. Lay down, or be terminated."

Alright, this was bad. Maybe if he could at least reach—

"Weapon detected. Intruder is armed."

Oh shit.

"Engaging," the second one simply stated, opening fire. 

* * *

Shika had to abstain from cursing, because all his concentration was now dedicated to the firewall shield he had created between him and his opponent.

That gave him a little breathing room.

Now, what to do?

The snake in a suit had closed the exit; he couldn't leave.

Not even with an emergency disconnection.

Alright, he could work with that.

The elevator was still arriving, he just had to tell Naruto to wait for the right time and-

"Why are you standing there, doing nothing?" the reptile man asked, smugly.

Shika's attention went back to the second decker. He had finished moving his hands in a particular pattern, like-

He had loaded an attack program? But why? He was behind a firewall—

"Behind you," he mocked.

What—?

Something hissed behind him.

He dodged without looking, using a simple side-step and data combo to move faster.

A giant, vicious-looking red snake had just crashed on his firewall, right where he was standing a moment before.

And it had materialized behind him.

"How—?"

"I'm currently an administrator of this sub-system, thanks to my own tinkering before your arrival. Your firewall, for me… it means nothing."

Alright, _that _was a lie. Shika knew it.

The snake-man may have been able to load programs from his deck even behind his firewall. but no way he was able to go through it with other stuff.

Which would mean that he just had to dispose of such things as attack programs and ICE.

The horned decker started to move his fingers on the compact keyboard of light that appeared with a simple thought in front of his hand.

The snake, damaged but not stopped from the impact with the firewall, was turning towards him.

"Naruto," he called, opening a channel while still loading data patterns. "Can you hear me?"

No answer. Well, one problem at a time.

"Don't think about your little runner friend, think about yourself."

"Why did you sic the security robots on him?" Shikamaru asked, finishing pushing the buttons made of light that promptly disappeared. "He was not aware of your presence."

The snake was slowly advancing, studying him.

"Oh, but knowing that he's in danger puts some pressure on you, doesn't it?"

The snake lunged.

"Meh," Shika shrugged. "He can handle himself."

Without forewarning, black tendrils of corrupted data erupted from the floor of the virtual room, enthralling the attacking snake and immobilizing him with surprising strength.

Shika didn't even blink at the sight.

"What is that?" the other decked asked, with mild curiosity.

"It's my little virus. I call it Shadow Ripper."

As soon as the name of Shika's creation was said, the snake was ripped in half, straight down the middle.

It was still trying to reach the antlered decker. But it was futile.

Its body was broken, and its data was flowing. Just a few more spasms caused by the original intent of the small, terribly simple AI, and the virtual being started to lose consistency, its form being deleted byte after byte from the damage it had sustained.

"Now, that's impressive," the snake man grinned.

"Thanks," Shika answered, without really meaning that.

Now, he just had to find a way to contact Naruto, open an exit for himself so he could leave—or even disconnect if it was necessary—just in case, and put this buffoon in his place.

Just another day on the job. 

* * *

"HOLY SHIT!"

Just above his head, another heavy-caliber cartridge impacted on the reinforced concrete, leaving a hole the size of Naruto's knuckles.

The blond had, for the life of him, no idea how he had survived that first attack.

He had just started running when he had seen the rifles moving and somehow he had dodged the fire.

Maybe those buckets were not really good at aiming at a moving target.

But now he was stuck behind his current cover, one of the support pillars for the pylon.

He was not a moving target anymore and he couldn't afford to be, judging by all the rounds flying all around his pillar.

Which had not been designed to offer a cover in a firefight.

The only thing that Naruto was able to do was waiting for the right time to take a peek and fire one or two shots from his own pistol, just to keep them at bay.

"Additional units arriving in 43 seconds," one of the metal boxes said. Somehow the blond was able to hear it even among the loud gunfire bursts.

Why was he saying that, anyway? Who the heck programmed his robots to say stuff like that?!

"Initiating flanking maneuver as soon as the additional units arrive," the second one replied without ceasing fire.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," the blond lamented as he ejected the empty magazine of his weapon.

Only two left.

Two magazines for two security 'bots, plus the 'additional units'...

Yeah, no good at all.

Forget the elevator, he just wanted to get out alive.

If he survived this, he would buy a better gun as soon as he had enough money for one.

_"_—_ruto? Naruto? You there?!"_

Oh, finally good news.

Never before had Naruto thought that the voice of another man was so beautiful.

"Shika! Where the fuck were you?!"

_"I'm having my own party, here. We're having tea and pastries."_

"Yeah, well, my own guests are a little too loud," Naruto yelled, to be heard even with the sound of the firefight. "Can you turn them off?"

_"I can't do that, sorry. There is_—_"_

"I don't need your life history, I just need to know how to get out of here!"

_"Alright, look. I can't see the camera feed right now, but the elevator is still on its way. It should not take too long now."_

"Wait, you can't see me?" Naruto asked, puzzled.

_"Yes, I can't see you now. Look, just give me enough time to finish this thing here, and_—_"_

Geez, why didn't he say so immediately?

"Alright Shika, take care," the blond simply said.

_"Wait, Naruto! What are you do_—_"_

Naruto switched off the communication.

If Shika was not able to see him, he had a chance to do this.

After all, wrecked robots couldn't talk.

Showtime. 

* * *

Why had that troublesome guy closed the call?!

After all the trouble he had gone through to finally contact him, by moving his firewall along the room...

The space around the system node was a complete wreck.

The snake decker had been somehow impressed from the way he had managed to open a channel to call Naruto and had started to use more creative ways to attack him.

His firewall had been breached a few times. Small holes were present along its surface, which allowed his enemy more margin of maneuver.

To boot, the other decker who had decided to graduate him from "attack program" to "White ICE".

That were now almost surrounding him, barely contained by the Shadow Ripper and a few of his other tricks.

It was not a good situation, but it had not been good since he had entered in the node.

Well, he had managed to tell Naru that the elevator was still coming.

Time to find a way for him to get out of there.

Shika gave a few final commands on the node's interface, injecting a virus in the data cache that maybe would have at least thrown a wrench in the bespectacled snake's plans.

Now it was just a matter of good timing.

He gave order to the firewall to overload itself.

The barrier lit up rapidly, gaining a red-orange hue before exploding in thousands of shards that moved in every direction, yet somehow managed to miss him entirely.

The fragments damaged the ICEs, forcing them to back off, while the snake decker had to create a physical barrier to stop them.

"Nice trick," the reptile's voice said from behind the cover made of polygons. "I'll have to remember to copy it, after I'll have dealt with you."

"Copy _this_," Shika stated without looking in his direction.

Where before the barrier of light had stood, was not rapidly forming Shikamaru's own White ICE.

It took the shape of a grotesque, monstrosity with a stylized, muscular body with fists big as anvils, and the head of a deer with majestic antlers attached to its bull-like neck.

The new fighter in the room was towering on everyone present, its creator or their enemies alike.

As the massive program's body finally formed, it started to slam his oversized fists around, making a great havoc while grunting in rage.

But it was not aiming to the snake ICEs.

It was hitting all around the virtual room, destabilizing data as he did so.

Obviously the snake-man seemed quite shocked by this.

"What are you doing?!

"I am wrecking this place, thanks to my heavy-duty ICE. I bet that in a few minutes this place will be swarming with Sarutobi's cyberspace security squad."

The snake's eyes widened slightly.

"If you don't want to get caught, you'll have to undo what you did and open the exit. You open the door, I leave," Shika continued. "And even if they arrive too late, they'll know that a decker was here and the whole system will be checked for intrusion. I win."

As to make a point of Shikamaru's last statement, various alarm signs started to flash around the data node, that was shaking because of the horned colossus's blows.

It was just a matter of time.

The snake-headed man gritted his teeth, seething.

Shikamaru could feel the rage of the other decker, even if his body was just a virtual construct.

He wanted to attack, to kill him.

But he had no choice and both knew this.

In the end, the man relented. With a gesture of his hand, his own ICEs stood down.

And with a few precise commands, he modified the gateway once again, opening it.

The two decker stared at each other, ignoring the tell-signs of the incoming security squad. They both were well aware that the ones that moved first, would have probably been stabbed in the back.

Or at least, that was Shika would have expected by a worm like his attacker.

"So, how do you want to do this?" the snake-headed man hissed.

"You dismiss your ICEs and disconnect _now_. I will leave after you've done that."

"As you wish," the man hissed. The snake-shaped White ICEs started immediately to fade from existence, having been sent away by their master.

Their data flowed into the snake-man once again.

"So, this is a goodbye," Shikamaru said smirking as the other decker started to walk into the exit.

"Oh yes," the other man said, turning towards him. "This is a goodbye."

A single finger was passed on a command interface that appeared on the man's suit.

Four dark spheres, with spikes protruding from them, appeared around Shikamaru.

Shika's deer-man attacked them immediately, but as he hit one of them with his huge punches, his whole arm was ripped by a corrupt flow of data unleashed by one of the spheres.

Shika recognized the pattern immediately, as his White ICE spasmed around, being consumed.

Black ICE.

"You snake-faced son of a b—"

"Have a nice death, small fry," the other decked waved, without looking back.

The spheres started to spin and moving closer to him.

He had few time, and no choice.

Shikamaru moved his hand, his _real _hand, on the surface of his deck, and pressed the emergency switch.

His consciousness was forcefully pulled away from the cyberspace, and pushed into his meat-sack of a body.

It was quick. It was intense. And it was terribly stressful for the mind and body of a decker.

The backlash was immediate.

He screamed, confused by the sudden sensorial feedback and the pain for the forced procedure he had just undergone.

He thrashed on his soft recliner chair, feeling blood coming out of his nose.

And then, he fell down on the floor, looking like he was having a seizure, while it was just his body having trouble to move his muscles correctly.

It would last only a few minutes, then the nausea would arrive. And the migraine.

It was still a long way better than having his brain fried by a Black ICE, but it was still troublesome. 

* * *

Sasuke let out a raging grunt, suppressing the urge to punch the screen of his bike's computer. Again.

He had lost trace of the suspect. All the sightings, even the ones from the flying drones, had been decoys.

Now the trail was cold, the blond runner had probably gone under, waiting for things to settle down.

He had hoped to cut off the fugitive's way but he had lost it.

Dammit.

The UPP officer was moving along the outskirts of Little Chiwa, where the poorer buildings and the support pylons lay.

His thoughts started to run wild, which was never a good thing.

They always got back to that man. And what he had done.

Sadly, he had vanished without a trace years ago, disappearing in the shady underbelly of the city.

The place where runners lived.

Along with gangs, cartels, other criminals and millions of people just trapped in between.

No way to find him without inside help.

The blond he had been chasing, Naruto Uzumaki, was one of the few runners whose identity was well known to most authorities, UPP included.

Somehow, he had managed to avoid capture, unlike the ones which had been identified so far.

Had he been able to capture him, maybe he could have interrogated him on how the runners find contracts. It was a long shot, but it would have given him a chance to track down It—

Gunfire, loud.

Multiple shots.

A firefight, close to his position.

He snapped into focus, forgetting his thoughts.

"Dispatch, there is a shooting in the area I'm in. I'm going to check it out."

_"Understood, Unit 7. What about the suspect?" _

"He...he got away. The one I was following was a decoy."

_"Copy that, 7. Good luck out there."_

Obviously, he was not offered back-up.

Typical.

He slammed his foot down on the pedal, forcing his bike to accelerate.

With a simple thought, his artificial eyes activated the Sharingan implant.

It started immediately to analyze his surroundings, or at least what his eyes were seeing. It took an impressive amount of data by video feed only and calculated the vectors of vehicles, people and other moving objects.

Such as bullets.

Along with the enhanced reflexes, it was a perfect tool to have during a firefight.

Or to slalom in the traffic like he was doing right now.

It seemed that following the sounds of gunfire was taking him closer to the pylon.

Who would start a fight around such a place?

As he turned in a side road, he saw that the firefight was actually taking place around the pylon

In front of the main entrance in the middle of the fence, with the logo that showed clearly which 'Corp owned this spot, was lined up a small number of security robots.

Mark 3 models, from what he could see. Not the top of the line anymore, but still amply used.

Strangely, they seemed to be watching the inside of the fenced area, not the road in front of it.

What was going on?

He pulled the brakes slightly, cutting the engines as he was close enough that the machines actually felt his presence thanks to their ambiental sensors.

Which was a over-complicate way to say that they heard him.

"Halt, Officer," one of them said, having turned around and seen him. "Please state your business."

"I was patrolling the area, as specified from my company's contract, when I heard the sound of gunfire. Do you require assistance?" Sasuke asked, knowing well that he would receive a refusal.

After all, corporations had a strict policy about these stuff.

"We thank you for your offer but our security forces will be able to deal with these on their own," the robot said, in what seemed to be a standard, pre-recorded message. "Have a nice day."

Which was corporate for a middle finger.

Sasuke grunted.

He had suspected that this would be a waste of his time since he had understood that the firefight was taking place in a MegaCorp's territory.

He would have fared better trying to still look for—

Wait, what was that?

He had been on the point to turn around his bike, when his Sharingan had seen something moving behind the fence, in the distance.

He asked for his eyes to show him the frame where they had detected the movement.

There.

Sasuke could have dropped his jaw, had he been less in control of his reactions.

The blond runner he had been searching for was inside the fence, involved in the shooting.

The Uchiha quickly spun around his bike and gave gas to the engine, facing again the row of Mark 3, who were now all watching him.

Well, at least they hadn't raised their rifles yet.

"Let me pass, you stupid tincans," he ordered. "A suspect is inside the area, and I need to capture him."

"Officer, I must remind you that this is Sarutobi Enterprises' property. Your jurisdiction for the purpose of—"

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Sasuke yelled, running right through them at top speed, ignoring the various warnings.

He had enough.

He would not let his only link to Itachi escape or be killed before he could interrogate him just because a robot had been in his way.

He finally arrived on the scene of the firefight, and he had to stop his bike at the sight.

He had not expected this. 

* * *

"You are forbidden to touch Sarutobi Enterprises' property," the robot cold voice said as it stopped firing, its weapon empty.

Naruto let go of the useless metal body, now riddled with holes, as its still active colleague immediately started to reload the heavy-duty combat rifle.

He sprinted, moving directly against it. As he got close enough, he ducked under the weapon that was being already aimed at him, lock and loaded.

Damn, these toasters reloaded _fast_.

His first punch was an uppercut to the machine's chin, with all his strength behind it.

It smashed is chatter-box, sending pieces of metal and hardened plastic everywhere. At least it would stop complaining about Naruto's lack of cooperation in his summary execution.

Even then, the machine build and programmed to protect the perimeter from intruders tried to aim his weapon towards the young runner.

Backflipping off his right hand, Naruto slapped the weapon away.

Had it been in the hand of a normal opponent, it would have probably flown away, or at least fallen to the ground. But a robot had no things like reflexes or spasms caused by a strong hit.

Still, it was enough to make it point the rifle away from him, which was good enough in his opinion.

He closed his fingers, and punched the security 'bot in the head with a quick jab, which dented the metal plate and cracked the plexiglass protection of its sensors.

That was enough to send the already unstably footed automaton tumbling to the ground.

Naruto was immediately on it, sitting on it, blocking its armed arm with one of his legs.

Then he grabbed the damn thing's head with both of his hands, and started to _twist_.

**Alert, compromising ****pressure in the parts between—**

"Shut up and just go all-strength!" he argued, not caring if he was above the limits normally allowed to his limbs.

Under the pressure of his hands, the metal dented a little more, and sparks started to fly around, bursting from the joints at the base of its neck.

The head came off with loud, metallic snap, followed by one last burst of electrical sparkles a few hanging cables. The body went limp and, while still active, stopped moving.

Thank goodness to whoever decided that robot's heads had to contain their core processor.

Naruto relaxed, and got up, still clasping the damaged, almost smashed head in his hand. His muscles—the ones he still had, at least—were really sore, and sure as hell he would feel this in the morning.

Then he let it go of the head and kicked it, watching it as it soared for something like a dozen meters, passing above the other five robots he had destroyed in very creative means.

"YES! I'M AWESOME!" he yelled, euphoric.

He noticed the lonely UPP agent that was looking at him, stunned, only when the tin head landed with a metallic sound.

How had the blond runner not noticed the other man approaching was beyond his comprehension, since it had a still-running bike. Maybe he had just been too focused by the whole breaking robots thing.

Still, he was under a shock of equal magnitude. Someone had seen him using his—

Right as the two of them met each other's gaze, the elevator's door opened, announcing its arrival with a hiss of sliding metal.

Naruto immediately ran for it.

As Shikamaru had told him, the elevator was quite big, industrial-grade big.

Not that he cared right now as he all but leaped inside it.

He immediately reached the panel of the controls. At least_ that_ didn't need a ID scan, it was based on old-fashioned buttons.

Which one was the one for the level he needed to—oh, there it was.

He promptly pushed it and the doors started to close.

At a terribly slow speed.

The loud roaring of a engine could be heard coming from outside.

Naruto started pushing the button more energetically. Still, the damn slabs of metal refused to move faster.

They had closed half-way when something forcefully jammed into them, with a loud slam.

It was the cop's bike. Its front part had got stuck and the wheel was now fuming on the ground and the biker was doing its best to get inside it, doors or not.

Naruto acted, going right in front of the stuck vehicle.

Once again, their eyes met, blue against red.

Then Naruto kicked the bike away, shattering the fork and freeing it from the doors' grasps.

A few warning lights turned on in his HUD. He didn't care, they would have turned off in a few seconds anyway.

The UPP cop had seen his intentions, though. Probably thanks to those freaky eyes, like the one Kakashi had.

After grabbing a compact shotgun from the bike's side, the policeman had just stood on the top of the bike's seat, and jumped.

He landed, rolled, tumbled and turned towards Naruto, pointing the weapon towards his head.

Naruto had just the time to do the same, retrieving his own pistol.

Neither of them pulled the trigger.

Shit.

A Kiri stand-off.

The elevator started its slow descent. 

* * *

**A\N: Don't worry, I have not forgotten this AU of mine.**

**I was just busy with my other stories.**

**So? Like it, dislike it? What do you think of my rendition of cyberspace? And what's up with Naruto?**

**Let me know with a review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own Naruto, if I did I would not be here. Probably.**

**I know it's been a long time since the last time I updated this story, but don't worry. More will come in the future.**

**Beta Readers: PyrothTenka, Duesal Bladesinger, AlmostElectric, Ser Serendipity, Ekusukallybaa, Zenthisoror and as a special guest, Lord Darkly.**

**Also, special thanks to E3-FantasyandReality and darkerdeepdown for their support.**

**Man, that's a lot of people.**

* * *

Staring down the barrel of a twelve gauge that was just a few inches away from his eyes was not exactly an experience that Naruto had ever planned to try, especially if behind the semi-automatic shotgun was a finger on the trigger.

Neither dared to move. Neither dared to even blink. They couldn't afford to break eye contact.

The lights flickered, yellow and dim, slipping along the length of the dark metal barrels like oil.

Naruto caught a glimpse of how they highlighted the lines of the shotgun's rifling.

A small sign was flashing on the side of his HUD, telling him of a detected threat.

Yeah, no shit.

Naruto was pretty sure that it was a semi-automatic gun but that didn't really matter. A single shot or a burst from the cannon at that range and not even he would survive.

Not that he'd ever actually tested it but that was one experience that he didn't want to try, ever.

The only reassuring thing was his own pistol, which was trained upon the Uchiha's exposed neck.

"Naruto Uzumaki," the cop proclaimed ignoring the weapon, "you're under arrest for association with criminal elements, illegal possession of firearms, trespassing, destruction of private and public property, assaulting an officer, suspected multiple accounts of murder and association with cyber-terrorist groups."

"Hey, I resent the last ones!" Naruto protested. "And you're out of your jurisdiction here, red-eyes!"

"Then I will just have to drag you back."

"Oh yeah? You make a move, I shoot."

"I believe that's my line," the Uchiha said, raising an eyebrow.

"And do you know what my line is?" Naruto sneered. 

* * *

While his virtual persona that resembled a snake-headed man in a business suit was maintaining its usual cool exterior, Kabuto was inwardly fuming.

He had to leave; his firewall wouldn't keep the Sarutobi deckers out for long.

Months of planning wasted by two runners running into him, both in the real world and in C-space.

His employer would not be pleased.

He had to leave, disappear from C-space for a while. Not without getting a little revenge first.

The deer-like decker had escaped just in time to save his mind but his accomplice was still out there: he could clearly see the data feed of the camera inside the elevator.

And he had company. Why an Uchiha would follow someone into Sarutobi Enterprises' territory was beyond him.

With a little luck, the police officer would kill the runner. Which was the result he'd wanted all along.

But where was the satisfaction in that?

Too bad for the cop.

Smirking Kabuto quickly changed a few of the directories inside the elevator's monitoring program, each one causing a string of data to change inside the program's scheme.

As he finished, his firewall was finally broken.

In the blink of an eye, a security backdoor opened, assuming the form of an unwrapping wormhole formed by purple pixels.

A team of deckers arrived on the scene through it, immediately spotting him. They ordered him to stop, loading attack programs and trying to put a tracer on him.

He threw the remaining Black ICE he had at them, before simply walking out his own backdoor that he had installed weeks ago.

Let the fools pay for underestimating him.

His entrance closed and quickly disappeared in a mist of spam data. 

* * *

It happened before he could react.

The first thing Sasuke felt was the ground itself dropping out from under his feet.

That caused him and his only lead to the runners' circles to lose their balance, badly.

Then there was was the recoil from his weapon as the buckshot was fired.

His eye implants told him that the pellets' vectors were nowhere around the suspect. His sudden disequilibrium had swayed the barrel of the weapon well away from the blond's head.

He secretly felt relieved at that. After all, he needed him alive.

The fugitive too had lost his balance, falling head over heels and instinctively distancing himself from Sasuke's weapon, swearing viciously all the while.

There was the same expression of growing panic on his face that Sasuke imagined he had on his own.

The violent impact with the metallic flooring almost left him winded.

It was only after then Sasuke realized that the elevator was falling down the shaft.

His vision was spinning,and he tried to stay on his feet.

Sasuke could feel the lift below his feet gaining velocity, and he tried to haul himself upright via the handlebars on the wall, only to see the armed guy before him doing the same.

He immediately pointed his shotgun towards him and the runner did the same with his gun.

"Oh, not this again," the fugitive whined. "Are you for real?!"

"You're a suspect—"

"Do you think that matters, _now_? We gotta stop this thing or we're both dead!"

Sasuke knew he was right, of course. A part of his mind was telling him that it was futile trying to capture him now but on the other hand this was a wanted runner; he couldn't just lower his guard.

"Do you want to die in an elevator? Because I sure don't!" Naruto Uzumaki continued.

Hell no he didn't. If they both died, nobody would chase down _that_ man.

"Fine," he said, "but leave the weapon on the ground."

The runner did so rather quickly, before sprinting as fast as he could toward the control panel. As he kept pressing the button to stop the elevator over and over again, Sasuke got on his feet and retrieved the pistol from the floor without letting the fugitive out of his sight.

"Oh come on!" the blond yelled before reaching for his left ear. "It's not working... Shika? Shika! You hear me?"

Interesting, Sasuke noted. So he had at least one accomplice after all. He filed this away for later use.

"He's not answering. Now what?" he asked, turning towards Sasuke.

Fear started to grip Sasuke's heart.

How many levels were left before they reached the bottom?

It couldn't end like this! It couldn't.

"Check for a manual override!" he urged.

"I can't find—Oh, here it is," the runner said brightening as he tried to pry open a compartment on the panel. "Great, it's sealed tight."

Sasuke decided to throw all caution aside, since the elevator was reaching a frightening speed and moved beside Naruto to see what the problem was.

The panel was indeed locked shut. They needed an ID key to open it.

Unless...

"Tear it open!" Sasuke ordered. "Like you did with the robot!"

"You saw me doing that?!" the runner asked, panic in his face "I mean—"

"Just do it!"

"I can't! I don't have a good handhold to—Quick! Shoot it!"

"What?"

"I said,_ shoot it_!" the blond yelled as he stepped away from the panel.

Sasuke aimed carefully and squeezed the trigger.

The gunshot resounded as the pellets tore off part of the brake hatch, leaving it dented and deformed.

"Thanks!" his unexpected companion yelled as he grabbed it with both hands and tore it away, sending it clattering to the floor.

Sasuke realized that maybe following a runner with an unknown amount of augmentations was not such a bright idea, but it was too late to worry about that now.

He would just have to remember not to be in arm's reach when this was over.

Naruto pulled the brake lever and Sasuke found himself tumbling to the ground once again as the elevator came to an abrupt stop with a loud clang.

Then something went wrong and with a protracted screech they started to fall again, although at a slower speed.

Sasuke didn't know how the blond was faring; he was too busy trying to not lose his grip on the weapon that would be his lifeline if they both survived, or so he hoped.

He could still hear the runner's swearing even with the terrible noise that almost masked it, albeit it was barely comprehensible.

Just as it had started, the metallic shriek of the brakes ceased and Sasuke found himself thrown upwards. As he slammed down onto the elevator's floor once again, he thought that something had finally broken as the lights went down.

He thought that this was it, that they were now falling towards their certain doom but quickly realized that the elevator wasn't moving at all.

He groaned, trying to get up. The Sharingan implant entered in low-light mode, showing him his surroundings in a slightly reddened filter.

He saw Naruto Uzumaki, the runner that he had been chasing down for months, the one who had probably just saved his life, scrambling to get to his feet.

Sasuke immediately pointed his shotgun at him.

The motion alerted him and he tried to reach for his pistol... which was safely tucked away in Sasuke's belt.

"On your knees, now!" he barked . "Don't try anything stupid."

"You're a real bastard, copper," Naruto snarled in anger.

"Just doing my job," Sasuke lied. It wasn't a job, not now. This was personal. "Now get down or—"

Sasuke was interrupted by a ping sound as the elevator doors opened slowly, letting some light inside and blinding him for a second as his artificial eyes readjusted to the new lighting.

Outside of the elevator shaft, there were dozens of security bots from Sarutobi Enterprises, weapons readied.

"Fuck," both of them said. 

* * *

Shikamaru opened his eyes hesitantly.

It didn't change much because the room he was in was completely dark but after the emergency disconnection it felt like he had hot rods going through his pupils, right into his brain.

He also had a troublesome headache, the mother of all the troublesome headaches ever had by humanity until then.

Maybe he should just fall unconscious and hope he woke up when it resembled something closer to a terrible hangover.

Then he remembered about Naruto and the robots that were shooting at him.

"Oh shit," he said as he tried to get up from the floor. At his sudden motion, flashes of pain went through his body, after-effects of his unpleasant departure from cyberspace.

He rubbed the back of his hand under his nose, trying to wipe away the almost-dried blood crusting up beneath it.

The nausea was coming back again, aided by her ally, the troublesome headache.

He had to deal with those. But first, Naruto.

Where had he left his phone?

Shikamaru pondered for two whole seconds whether he should lift the blinds or not, but decided against it.

If he was feeling bad _now_ in the almost total darkness of his messy home, he didn't want to imagine how he would feel with actual light in his eyes.

He slowly stumbled around, reaching for the vague outline in the dark room which he knew to be his desk.

Shikamaru blindly searched for his phone. He knew it was on there somewhere.

Various items were pushed away or fell off of the desk but he finally felt a square, plastic shape.

He touched its surface, which brightened as the phone's screen came to life.

Victory was sweet. And painful to his poor eyes.

He immediately called Naruto's number, hoping that the knucklehead was fine.

They had been in business together for a few years after all.

Shikamaru waited as only the sound of ringing came from the device, the light of the screen casting ominous shadows on the walls.

Finally, the sound of someone picking up a call.

"Naruto, are you alright—"

_"The number you're trying to reach is unavailable,"_ a synthetic voice said. _"If you want to leave a message_—_"_

He turned the call off as he started to rub his temples.

Not available could mean a lot of things, but he wouldn't find out staying idle in a messy flat.

Not without access to the network at least.

But cyberspace was out of question, his brain wouldn't be able to handle it for a while.

He would have to find Naruto the old-fashioned way.

With a screen in front of him.

Shikamaru grappled with the thick, square case that was his "mundane" computer, the one he used when he didn't have to enter C-space, and somehow managed to push the right button.

With a humming noise, the machine came to life and started the brief set-up to become operational.

Meanwhile Shikamaru needed to fix the throbbing headache that was distracting him and maybe even the nausea. He could live with the cramps for a while.

Using the phone's screen as a lamp, he scanned the room until he found what he needed: the med box.

He pried it open and took a few packets out of it, checking for the tablets and pills he needed.

One for the nausea, two for the headache and one for the eye sensitivity.

He put them all in his mouth and swallowed them with the help of a little water that he took from a bottle that had been laying on his desk from who knows how long ago.

Sitting down on the squeaky chair, he turned on the old, flat screen, averting his gaze so that he wouldn't suffer for the sudden brightness too much.

Normally he would've waited for the pills to work—not that he made a habit of taking them—but he couldn't afford to lose time that way.

As he started up a browser, routing the signal through five different proxies, each of them encrypted, he called Naruto one more time only to hear the same automated voice message.

He hung up again, hissing in annoyance. It was clear that it was futile.

Better start looking around then.

Shikamaru's hands found his keyboard and his fingers started to dance across it.

"Alright, Naruto. Let's see what news there is about what happened around the pylon."

It wasn't that difficult, since he knew where and what he had to look for.

In the eyes of a normal person, it was incredible how fast news spread around the sprawl... or how well hidden its secrets were.

For Shikamaru, however, having to search for any reports of a firefight around a pylon in Little Chiwa seemed too slow.

Accessing the security footage from this machine would have required time, too much time compared how _fast_ cyberspace was.

Without being able to directly interface with cyberspace, there was no way he'd be able to keep up with the top notch security deckers. He'd have to settle for second hand knowledge.

Rumors on the 'net about a big firefight somewhere in the eastern fringes of Little Chiwa, but no mentions of bodies on the scene. He made sure it wasn't about the incident in the alley, and moved on.

Variations in the local traffic, where it was evident that the police had closed a certain area around the pylon.

Chats on social networks, where various messages, mostly from young adults and teenagers were discussing a big incident that apparently had happened around the pylon.

Local news headlines—just in case the media had even heard of what had happened. The only noteworthy breaking news was about a joint operation between the UPP and the Sarutobi's security department had caused some technical difficulties to the security system.

Yeah, right.

It also explained that a squad of technicians was already moving towards the scene.

Taking all of these into account, he started to get a picture of the events.

The shooting had continued for a while after Naruto had hung up the call, but no bodies were mentioned regarding the accident.

Either the people didn't know, or Naruto was still alive. Shikamaru was partial to the second one because people seemed to have an almost morbid fascination with death and destruction, and the more death the better.

They always tried to stay and watch until the bodies had been removed.

The accident and the "joint operation" were obviously connected but it was clear he had no further elements about that to understand the truth behind it.

The fact that technicians were already being sent on the scene instead could mean an important piece of machinery or equipment had been damaged.

And the only important thing around the pylon, besides the pylon itself, was the elevator used by maintenance crews.

Naruto had managed to enter the elevator, something happened and now it was damaged?

Yeah that was something that Naruto would do.

Shikamaru had no way to find out from there how much the elevator had descended. But if Naruto's communicator hadn't been damaged or turned off, it could mean only one thing.

Naruto had arrived in the Underlevels.

Shit.

Troublesome shit.

Shikamaru grabbed his phone immediately and pressed the speed dial without looking at it.

"Tenten? We have a problem." 

* * *

"STOP SHOOTING!" the cop yelled from his cover, being audible even above the gunfire. "I'm with the Uchiha Private Police!"

Between the runner and the Uchiha, through the open doors, raged a storm of bullets.

"I don't think they really care about that!" Naruto shouted from the other side of the elevator as he checked the sealed bag that contained the package.

Thankfully, it was still intact. He had still a few hours to take it to the other side of the city.

He decided to face one issue at a time, though.

There was a sudden stop in the hail of fire and Naruto felt the hope that maybe, they would get away from the idiotic machines.

"UPP jurisdiction protocols invalid inside Sarutobi Enterprises' property," was the reply of one of the robots outside of the elevator, demolishing his expectations. "Maintain sentry mode."

At least most of it was aimed towards the cop's half of the elevator.

"Told you," Naruto deadpanned.

"SHUT UP!"

"Hey, how come they haven't rushed us yet?" Naruto asked, ignoring the police officer's ire.

The shoots' intensity started to drop, reducing themselves to a single double-tap pattern every few seconds, probably just to keep them suppressed.

Or to conserve ammo.

"This is what bugs you? Seriously?" his persistent chaser asked with disbelief badly hidden in his voice.

"Well, we've been here for... what? Twenty minutes? Every time we try to leave they shoot at us but if they charged us with those numbers..."

"They're probably basic models set on sentry duty. They won't move unless a different order is issued from the directories that are controlling them."

"So, we're pinned here because they're too dumb to act on their own?"

"That's right so—"

"New parameters set," a voice came from the robot's ranks. "Organize breach &amp; clear team."

"Oh you've got to be kidding me," the cop grumbled as another round of fire peppered the elevator's cabin.

Naruto had been trying to close the doors by pressing the 'emergency shut' button on the control panel since the robots had started shooting, but nothing happened. Either the impact or the shooting had rendered the doors useless.

"Can I have my gun back now?" he asked in the most petulant tone he could muster.

"So you can shoot me with it?" the incredulous cop asked, raising an eyebrow but remaining serious otherwise.

"I can just wait for the security robots to do that, if you want," Naruto grumbled. "Now give me my gun!"

The Uchiha glared at him as loud, metal clanks could be heard approaching the elevator.

The sound seemed to convince him and after taking it out of his belt, he slid it over towards Naruto's side of the elevator, albeit reluctantly.

A few more shots passed through the open doors as Naruto picked up his gun and checked the safety before taking it off.

They could hear the security 'bots just outside of the elevator, positioning themselves on both sides of the entrance.

The suppressing fire stopped.

Naruto prepared himself.

The cop took aim with his shotgun, taking a few step back.

Then something was tossed directly inside the elevator.

Its cylindrical shape allowed it to roll further down the confined space and Naruto saw what it was.

Tear gas.

"Oh fu—"

A metal clink was heard as it stopped and with a furious hiss, grey tendrils of smoke quickly erupted from its tip.

Even if it hadn't even covered his ankles, Naruto could already taste it in his throat.

As the silk-like fog invaded the elevator's cabin, the first of the 'bots rushed inside, rifle at the ready.

Naruto acted, grabbing the machine's gun and pushing it upwards.

A small burst exploded, the impacting bullets created a shower of sparks from the elevator's roof.

As the robot struggled, Naruto pointed the muzzle of his pistol to the robot's head and pressed the trigger one, two, three times.

Its humanoid form crashed to the floor, motionless.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see the Uchiha dart forward and kick the gas canister between the broken automaton's legs, back toward their assailants.

The cop dove back under cover just as the robots started firing again and Naruto did the same, letting the metal body clatter to the ground.

The room outside the elevator was starting to be flooded by the tear gas, spreading in the large space in a fog-like manner.

Too bad robots didn't need to breathe.

Some of them just advanced ignoring the grey cloud and rushed inside.

The two trapped in the elevator were prepared though.

A series of blasts from the Uchiha's shotgun blew off large chunks of their frames, while Naruto finished off the ones not disabled by the cop's weapon, sending them falling in a quickly growing pile of twisted and broken metal.

He was really glad that the copper hadn't shot him with that cannon now.

His ally-by-circumstances moved back to cover, retrieving some shells from his belt to reload his still fuming weapon.

Naruto decided to risk taking a peek outside of the elevator.

He couldn't see anything because of the gas-which was making his throat sore-when a single humanoid figure charged directly towards him, emerging from the grey smoke.

Before the security robot could pull its trigger, Naruto placed a single shot in the big lens that it had for an eye.

The thing emitted a few squeaks and sparks before collapsing a little before the pile of its brethren.

A sudden silence fell on the room.

He returned inside the safety of the elevator and checking his gun, he saw that it was empty.

"Gods, why didn't you throw the can back right away?!" the Uchiha snarled, as he loaded another shell in the shotgun with a metal click.

"Me?" Naruto bellowed back, releasing the pistol's empty magazine. "It was closer to you! Shouldn't you have seen it coming with that Sharingan of yours?!"

"How do you know about the Sharingan?" the cop asked, suddenly wary for some reason.

"I know a guy that has one," Naruto explained matter-of-factly while sliding a new mag inside. "Hey, how many do you think are still out there?"

The Uchiha didn't stop looking at him with circumspect for a few seconds, before talking again.

"I counted at least two dozens, besides these ones," he said, gesturing to the mass of broken robots. "But there could be more. How much ammo have you left?"

"This is my last mag," Naruto grimaced. "I had packed light for this job. You?"

"Five more shells, my handgun and a stun baton."

"That's it?! Shouldn't you UPP guys have more firepower?"

"I did. On the bike," the cop said flatly.

"Oh. Well, it seemed a good idea at that time," Naruto admitted sheepishly.

"Hn," the Uchiha grunted.

"Hey, maybe we could use their guns?" Naruto asked, gesturing with his pistol towards the broken and scattered robots parts.

"No, they're probably chipped. They would not work or might even be booby-trap—"

The Uchiha's explanation was abruptly interrupted by the clattering of various metal objects landing outside of the elevator. A hiss immediately followed.

Naruto widened his eyes and immediately pulled his shirt up to cover his nose and mouth.

Like a wave, the tear gas flowed inside, spreading quickly. He immediately started coughing, feeling his eyes moist. The Uchiha was not faring much better, from what he could hear.

He tried to keep his eyes open but it was becoming more and more difficult with every passing second.

The sound of gunfire and the bullets zipping through the door just a few feet from him made him realize how bad it was.

"Damn, we're trapped!" he managed to say after a short cough. "We've to get out of here!"

"Look for a hatch!" the cop yelled, his voice muffled by the hand he was keeping in front of his mouth. "There should be an emergency hatch on the roof!"

Naruto did so, ignoring the blazing barrage of bullets, but the tear gas was not helping in terms of visibility—

"There!" he yelled enthusiastically. "It's right above you!"

The Uchiha looked up towards the small hatch, a red square barely large enough for a person to pass through.

Both young men's gaze fell on the death-zone that was raging in the middle of the elevator.

"Wait for their lull, then come here! I'll cover you."

"I have a better idea... Kage Bunshin!" Naruto exclaimed, starting up his aug app.

As the confirmation of his command appeared on his HUD, three forms materialized around him in the way he had been accustomed for years, replicas of himself.

The holographic clones darted outside, ignoring the incoming fire.

One didn't even pass through the door before being dispersed by a hail of bullets but the other two had more luck.

Exploiting the few seconds the holograms had bought him, Naruto dove over to the other side of the elevator.

He stopped just next to the Uchiha, pushing himself to the wall and failing to suppress a coughing fit.

"Hurry, open the hatch!" the cop shouted.

"You open it, UPP!" was the lame comeback Naruto managed to say. He really didn't like how this bastard was bossing him around.

"Just do it!" the Uchiha yelled as he blasted the head off a robot that was trying to enter by climbing over the pile of broken ones.

"Fine!" the runner retorted angrily as the UPP officer reserved the same treatment as before for another security robot.

Naruto jumped up and used his feet to brace himself against the walls of the corner so he could reach the hatch.

Another shot from the shotgun was heard.

With one arm, he snapped off the latch and forced it upwards. He smelled fresh air, or at least air not filled with tear gas.

"Alright it's done!" he called down as he took the bag from his shoulder and shoved it through the hatch, placing it on the elevator's roof. "Let's get out of—"

The rest of what Naruto was saying was lost in a tumultuous crashing and banging and clatter of falling debris.

From his vantage point, he could see that two robots had charged through the messy pile that had partially blocked the elevator's doors, much like how two murderball players would move through the playing-field.

The Uchiha quickly aimed at the closest one and opened fire on it, the pellets tearing off the the machine's light plating but somehow it managed to keep going. It rushed the policeman, tackling him to the ground.

The second robot pointed his weapon towards the struggling Uchiha, who was reaching for his own pistol.

The cop wouldn't make in time. He was going to die.

Naruto activated all his augs and pushed against the walls with his legs and jumped towards them, ignoring the overheating alarm flashing on his HUD.

He felt like if a fever had fallen over him, heating his skin. His limbs felt like hot iron.

But he wasn't feeling sick.

He felt stronger and faster than ever. But he could also hear _its _laugher in his head.

He had to do this quickly.

Naruto landed feet-first on the robot's, sending it sprawling across the floor from the sheer impact of his leap.

Sparks were sent flying as it grated against the metal floor.

The thing's rifle shot a burst of bullets as it tried to aim towards its assailant, but Naruto blocked the weapon's movements with his left hand and crushed it, breaking the polymer-made barrel.

His right hand immediately formed a fist and slammed it down on the robot's head, caving it in in a spray of smoke and oil.

A loud shot was heard and he turned towards the new detected menace in a fraction of a second, only to stop in his tracks, stunned.

The UPP cop was trapped under the still form of the other robot, his own pistol in his hand, smoking.

There was a big gaping hole in the machine's torso, running completely through it from one side to the other.

What kind of bullets was that thing loaded with?!

"Don't just stand there, idiot!" the policeman yelled between coughs. "Get this thing off me!"

The sound of a multitude of advancing metal legs was the only argument Naruto needed to act.

He grabbed the broken machine and tossed it onto the scattered pile like it was a cardboard figure, before pulling up the coughing and almost blinded cop.

Not that he was faring any better with all the gas around them.

"Hurry!" Naruto shouted, pushing the cop from behind to urge him to go faster.

The laugh in his head was getting stronger and he was aware of the robots coming to finish them. If this was a simple job, he didn't even want to imagine what people like Kakashi did for a living.

As soon as the Uchiha was on his feet, leaning against the wall, the blond leaped back up to the hatch and pulled himself through. In an instant he had turned back around to give his reluctant partner a hand.

Nobody left behind, that's what he had been taught and what he stuck to.

Even if it was a damn cop.

**Oh, and do you think he will be grateful for that?**

As the policeman grabbed his hand, he pulled him to safety just in time as their persistent assailants rushed the elevator en masse.

"Intruders retreating," one of the security automatons said. "Can't reach new position—"

**Guess what, he is not your friend. No one would be if they**—

"SHUT! UP!" Naruto yelled at the top of his tear gas abused lungs as he closed the hatch with a slam, denting its side and rendering it impossible to open.

He shut down his augs after that, leaning on the elevator's roof, trying to catch his breath.

The policeman was in no better condition, but at least nobody-or nothing-was shooting at them right now.

He checked his surroundings. The elevator shaft was dark, with just a few emergency lights on each level, one every few hundreds of feet.

There was a big, painted sign on the wall, which said 'U-5'.

Which meant they were in the Underlevels. Great.

"Hey," he said, turning towards the Uchiha. "you alive?"

"Hn," the other replied. "I lost my shotgun."

"Sorry about that," Naruto half-coughed, half-laughed. "But at least we're alive right?"

"You're still under arrest, Naruto Uzumaki."

"Heh... you're still a bastard, UPP," he grumbled. "Hey, what's your name?"

"Sasuke Uchiha... idiot."

Yup, sounded like the start of a great friendship. 

* * *

**A\N: And that's all for this chapter.**

**I hope you're liking this AU setting so far. Speaking of which, would you like if I wrote small excerpts from a codex à la Mass Effect after every chapter? Let me know.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A\N: Last time I checked, still didn't own Naruto. **

**Beta Readers: PyrothTenka, Duesal Bladesinger, AlmostElectric. Special thanks to Ser Serendipity, Lord Darkly and To Mockingbird (I hope I'm not forgetting anyone).**

**Sorry for the long wait.  
**

* * *

After who knows how many minutes, Naruto groaned as he got back on his feet, still gasping for breath from the tear gas, only to find a pistol pointed at his face.

"Gun. Now," the cop—Sasuke, Naruto reminded himself—demanded with a voice raspy from the recent abuse, hand held out as he looked at the blond warily.

The runner cocked his head to the side, arching his eyebrow in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?" the Uchiha asked, frowning.

"Oh, come on!" Naruto protested loudly. "I saved your ass—"

"As if!" the cop scoffed, keeping his weapon aimed at Naruto's forehead.

"I totally did! Which is why I should keep my gun!" Naruto said, taking a step forward. "Especially because—

"Stay back!" Sasuke barked, moving away from the blond. The Uchiha's enhanced eyes were red, meaning that the implant was active. Naruto knew that if he tried _anything_, he would get a bullet to the face.

So much for that plan.

"Fine, fine," he said, rolling his eyes. "I'll stay on my side of the elevator."

"Put your gun on the ground, then stand back. Don't try anything stupid, if that's even possible."

Naruto scoffed, but did as ordered and slowly placed his gun on the metallic roof of the elevator, careful to not give the wrong impression to those creepy augmented eyes.

Then he moved back, not making any sudden movements.

"Your bag too," the cop added as he scooped up the weapon.

Naruto froze before looking up with a glare. "I'm not giving you my bag," he said. He couldn't. It was his mission objective, take the damn bag to the customer. No bag, no creds, and Naruto needed that money.

"Do it, or you'll get a bullet _and_ I'll take the bag." Sasuke cocked his head, eyes glowing menacingly. "I rarely miss, you know. Especially not at this range."

"Oh come on, now you're bluffing," Naruto snorted, even if he could feel sweat forming on his brow. "You want me alive, not—"

There was a loud boom and a flash of light far stronger than the emergency lights mounted on the walls of the elevator shaft. Naruto felt the bullet zip past his head and impact the concrete behind him, showering him with dust and debris.

"Bag! _NOW_!" Sasuke barked, gun still smoking. "Then back against the wall!"

"Alright, alright! Just take it easy!" Naruto yelped raising his hands in surrender.

"Here," he said, slowly slipping the bag's straps off his shoulders with one hand, maintaining eye contact with the smoking barrel. No matter how he looked at the situation, it couldn't be helped. Even if he tried to subdue the—to subdue Sasuke, the odds of getting a hole on his head were way too high to risk it.

He let the bag fall to the ground and pushed it toward the Uchiha with his foot before stepping backwards until he felt the wall against his back. "So, now what? Are you going to tie me up?"

"And risk getting both arms broken? No thanks. Besides, I doubt that my standard handcuffs would be able to stop someone like you."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Naruto blurted out just a little too quickly. He fought the urge to wince.

"You're augmented."

Naruto's breath hitched. "You—"

"I saw you rip a robot's head off with your bare hands, and that panel in the elevator. I'm not stupid," the Uchiha deadpanned.

"Could've fooled me," Naruto muttered.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "You're not very smart, are you?"

"Hey!" Naruto was about to launch into a rant about how smart—and totally awesome—he _really _was when he was interrupted by the Uchiha.

"How much?"

"What?"

"How much of you is augmented? Twenty-five percent? _Thirty-five_?"

"Forty-two," Naruto said flatly, lying through his teeth. It was probably way higher than that, not that he knew the exact amount.

"Then we can add 'unlicensed augmenting above the percentage allowed' to the list of your felonies," Sasuke said smugly.

Well, shit.

"Whatever," Naruto scoffed, rolling his eyes while doing his best to play it cool.

It was a mistake.

In a blur, the Uchiha grabbed him by the collar and the blond found himself slammed face-first against the wall before he could even attempt to defend himself.

"Try anything funny... and you're dead," Sasuke stated, pressing his pistol against Naruto's nape to underline his claim. "Understood?"

"_Fine_," Naruto replied, inwardly bristling at the idea of conceding another victory to the Uchiha. You didn't argue with a gun pointed at your throat.

Naruto felt the cop's hand roughly pat him down and search all of his pockets, much to Naruto's discomfort.

No way was he going to stay silent during this.

"Like what you're feeling, Red Eyes?" Naruto asked with a smirk. He may not argue with a gun at his neck, but he could certainly snark.

Sasuke's expression—from what little he could see—was priceless. The cop bristled and coarsely ripped Naruto's commlink out the blond's jacket.

"Hey, don't be so rough! I like it gentle," Naruto mocked. "So, what now Sasuke?"

"You have the right to remain _silent_," Sasuke hissed, barely restraining his rage. "Anything you will say or do can and will be used against you—"

* * *

_"The number you're trying to reach is unavailable. If you want to leave a message_—_"_

"Unbelievable," Shikamaru grumbled, ending the call. Not even piggybacking the signal of the biggest repeater in Little Chiba had worked. Even if the chances had been low, he had wanted to give it a try.

"'It'll be an easy job, Shika!'" he said, imitating Naruto as best he could as his fingers danced on the grey keyboard and strings of text appeared on the screen. "'It's just a milk run, nothing could go wrong!'. Troublesome blond."

He pushed the enter button and as the computer started his search through the city archive, Shikamaru called another number and waited for the other person to pick it up.

Luckily, it didn't take long.

"Tenten? Are you there?" he asked, hoping to hear good news. "Are you alright?"

_"Yes, there's a load of people here, nobody cares about another bystander," _the girl replied matter of factly. _"I can't get close though."_

"What do you see?"

_"Two Red Eye patrols around the pylon, and lots of their drones around. Sarutobi's security bots are blocking their way. I think they're arguing about jurisdiction."_

"What about the elevator?"

_"Nothing much, just lots of smoke from the doors. Two technicians around it. Nobody's even tried to check inside."_

"I see," Shikamaru said slowly.

_"Is that good or bad?"_

"It could be anything," the decker sighed. "If only we had more data—"

_"Did you try the piggyback trick?"_ she asked.

"Yes, and it didn't work. Which means that Naruto is at least below the fourth underlevel."

_"If he's alive,"_ Tenten added grimly.

"Do you think he's dead?" Shikamaru asked after a short pause.

_"I don't know..."_ Tenten sighed on the other side of the phone. _"I mean, he's a tough guy, but I don't know if he's _that _tough."_

"Give him some credit. You know him, he's way sturdier than most people would think."

_"Or luckier,"_ Tenten added with what sounded like a smile.

"If you think this is luck..." Shikamaru snorted, leaving the joke hanging there. "Alright Ten, keep an eye on the scene for a while. Let me know if—if something changes."

_"Will do,"_ the sharpshooter replied before hanging up.

Shikamaru sighed again, really hoping to not hear from her that they had retrieved a corpse from the elevator shaft. He checked the computer once again: it was still completing its task.

Time to make a few more calls.

"Where the hell did I put my cigarettes?" he asked himself, looking around as he dialled a third number.

As the phone on the other side rang, he found and grabbed the package along with the lighter.

Almost empty. Great, he needed more cigs.

The decker put one in his mouth as the other end picked up.

"Hey, it's me," he said, not waiting to be greeted. "There's a situation."

* * *

The vent grate didn't offer much resistance as Naruto removed it from the wall, its bolts having being weakened by rust and lack of maintenance. It wasn't surprising, seeing how old the lower levels of the city were.

He let it fall in the very short gap between the elevator and the wall and took a peek inside the dark passage. There was no light, no way of knowing how long it extended for.

The blond turned its head towards the Uchiha, who was standing just out of his arms' reach, pistol ready in his hand.

"Get in," Sasuke said, securing Naruto's bag around his shoulder. "And remember—"

"Hey, man… I'm not going to do something stupid with a gun pointed on my ass. Or my—"

"Good. Go on then," the cop rebuked.

"Can I get a flashlight at least?" Naruto asked in annoyance. "I can't see anything."

"Not a chance," Sasuke said with a smirk.

Bastard.

Naruto reluctantly crouched, then lowered to his hands and knees with an embarrassed grimace and crawled into the vent.

The passage was so narrow that he could barely fit, and the blond couldn't help but feel suffocated by it. Fighting down claustrophobia, he forced himself forward. Real movement wasn't really possible: it was more of a squirming forward inch by inch than any actual crawling.

The thick layer of dust and grime didn't help and with each echoing movement he felt like he had to sneeze.

He heard similar sounds being carried over from behind him, telling him that even the Uchiha was crawling inside the dirty hole.

"So, Sasuke," Naruto asked without stopping. "How come you know my name?"

"You have the right to stay silent, remember?" the cop said with an annoyed tone.

"Yes, you told me. Screw that," the blond snorted. He would've liked to look the Uchiha in the face to ask about that, but besides the darkness, he was sure that he would get stuck if he tried to turn around. "I want to know how you know my name. Have we met before?"

"No. We haven't met before," Sasuke replied after a short pause. "Although I chased you down a few times."

"For real? I didn't even notice!" Naruto said, widening his eyes in the dark before coming to a stop. He glanced behind in the pitch-black passage, as little as he was able to, frowning slightly. "Are you a stalker or something?"

"I'm a cop, idiot!" was the harsh answer. "Catching people like _you_ is my _job_. Keep moving."

"That doesn't explain how you know my name," the blond runner muttered as he started advancing again in a way that mentally reminded him of a clumsy mole.

"You're on the list of the 'runners' known to the UPP," Sasuke stated, matter-of-factly.

"WHAT?!" Naruto yelled in surprise, hitting his head as a result. Flashes of pain exploded in front of his eyes, as he muttered curses.

"Keep moving," Sasuke repeated from behind him, not really caring about the blond's suffering. "And be silent."

The runner forced himself to bite back a long and very detailed list of profanities—most of which were about the Uchiha's lineage—and did as he was ordered to.

For five minutes.

"How did you guys find out?" he asked. Naruto _had _to know. If there was a snitch around, selling off other runners to the Badges, he had to find out.

"You'll be able to discuss it with your lawyer."

"Oh come on!" he protested, trying to look behind. "What's wrong with telling me?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Look, if you tell me," Naruto said slowly, "I'll shut up."

He heard the Uchiha come to an abrupt stop, and the blond smirked. Sasuke was pondering it.

Hook, line...

"Fine," Sasuke finally said.

Sinker.

"So?" Naruto asked smugly. He could _feel _the frown on the cop's face.

"Surveillance footage. Forensic Evidence. Eyewitnesses. _Lots_ of eyewitnesses," the Uchiha said, pausing briefly. "Most runners don't leave witnesses..."

"Yeah well I'm not most runners, and shouldn't you be grateful?" Naruto spat back. Really, he hated how a small—ok, a _good _chunk of bad apples were enough to give the whole basket a bad name.

"You're expecting me to be grateful that you don't kill civilians?" Sasuke asked, sounding almost incredulous. "Seriously?"

Naruto opened his mouth to protest when he heard a creaking noise vibrating all around him, through the vent's metal sheeting. Then there was a slam, and he felt the ground beneath him drop in a cacophony of metal and echoes.

The vent had given out under his weight.

He gave a loud cry as he fell face-first on the cold, hard floor.

* * *

Shikamaru sighed, stifling the cigarette butt in the ashtray. Whoever worked in that office, they deserved to be fired. In bulk.

Besides the fact that their security measures were utterly pathetic, the blueprints were incredibly out of date. He knew the underlevels were old, but this was ridiculous! The last update of their official maps had been done almost thirty years ago.

How in the Sage's name were the maintenance crews able to operate down there?

"Wait," he said, said, straightening up in his chair. "Maintenance?"

Shikamaru's fingers started to move, typing commands as the layouts of the various sub-levels around the elevator Naruto had taken flashed up on the screen. Even if it was a long shot, especially considering how outdated they could be, Shikamaru started comparing them.

* * *

Feeling disoriented, Naruto tried to move his head. His body felt numb and the left side of his face was throbbing in pain. A ringing in his ears dulled his hearing and made the world a soft, muffled place. All in all, it felt like he had been run over by something.

When he opened his eyes, his vision blurred with lights.

Didn't matter now. He had to figure out where he was. How come he hadn't gotten some nightvision aug—Oh right, he didn't want to get more augmented than he already was.

Well, served him right. Now he was lost who knew where, in the dark, with a probably swollen face and—

Was he hearing voices now?

Oh no, it was just that cop.

"Come... hear…" Sasuke said, but the runner's hearing was so muffled that he could understand only a word every few. The rest might have been static as well. "Can you... me?"

"Yeah yeah I hear you," Naruto grogged out. "I'm fine, by the way."

"What? I'm not talking to you," the Uchiha deadpanned.

"Wha—"

"Dispatch, come in," Sasuke said suddenly, ignoring the blond. The only thing Naruto could see were his bright red eyes. "Unit seven here, come in. Can you hear me?"

Naruto felt his jaw drop in surprise. He was not worried about his possible head injury—yes, he was augmented but Sasuke didn't know how much, for all he knew he could've got a concussion or something!

He was trying to contact his red-eyed buddies! What an _asshole_!

"We're too deep," he told the cop drily. "There's probably no signal."

Sasuke silently listened to the static coming from his device before closing his eyes with an exasperated sigh.

"Get up, we're leaving," the cop ordered finally.

"Fine, fine…" Naruto said, compiling. "Where are we, anyway?"

"Some maintenance tunnel, probably."

"Why it's so dark down here?"

"To save power. People rarely come here," the Uchiha explained as he turned on his flashlight, pointing it towards Naruto's face. "Start walking."

"Yeah, yeah…" the blond muttered, covering his eyes with a hand. "Which way?"

"We don't know where we are so I guess that it doesn't really matter."

"Do you have a coin?" Naruto asked jokingly. "I want to flip one for—"

"Just _move_," Sasuke seethed from behind the blinding light.

"Geez… why are you so pushy?" the runner asked rhetorically, rolling his eyes as he turned left and started walking along the dark hallway, followed by the cop that was still keeping his pistol pointed at him.

At least he could see where he was going this time. The shapes formed by the reflections beyond the beam of light were a little creepy though.

"So what's the plan?" he asked without turning back after a few minutes. He didn't exactly like to talk to the cop but it was better than walking in silence watching the tubes and cables running along the walls and ceiling.

"Why can't you just be silent?" Sasuke almost pleaded. Almost.

"Why should I?" Naruto snarked. "So, how do we get out of here? We get the first elevator to the surface?"

"It's not that simple," the Uchiha grumbled.

"Ooh right. Because of the mess about _you_ entering corporate territory," Naruto summed up nonchalantly. "All to catch little old me."

The Uchiha didn't comment. Both knew how much in deep shit the cop was for violating Sarutobi Enterprises' sovereign territory, where the UPP had no authority. It surely would cause a shitstorm between the violation of jurisdiction and the fight.

"How do you plan on explaining that to your boss?" the blond asked, enjoying imagining Sasuke being literally grilled by some higher-ups of his company.

"I'm thinking about it," Sasuke finally admitted.

"Oh, so you don't know," Naruto said, only to slow his pace as he spotted something beyond the limit of Sasuke's flashlight. The cop didn't protest at his action, so he may have noticed as well.

The hallway intersected with another one, creating a crossway that resembled a small cavern decorated with pipelines and conduits. The two of them could hear the echo of distant machinery, as well the musty scent in the air. All in all, every direction looked identical to the others.

"Great. Where to now?" Naruto mumbled in annoyance.

"Walk forward a bit," Sasuke said slowly, and Naruto did, dragging his feet. The blond saw the flashlight being diverted from him as the cop checked down each of the corridors. He knew, though, that the Uchiha's weapon was firmly pointed at him the whole time.

"That way," the Uchiha finally said, pointing towards the left one with the torch.

"Did you just pick one at random?" Naruto asked sarcastically. "Because I could've done that too."

Instead of answering, the cop nudged his head towards the hallway, and the runner knew that it was stupid trying to argue and reluctantly moved towards the passage. It was only when he started to walk along it that he noticed a gap between the pipelines mounted on the left wall and realized why Sasuke had picked that one.

"There's a door down there!" he said, picking up his pace.

"Perceptive," the cop deadpanned.

"Oh shut up, UPP! We don't all have special eyes, you know," Naruto yelled, turning towards Sasuke and pointing at his own to make a point.

"Speaking of which," Sasuke said slowly, his tone sharper. "You mentioned the Sharingan before."

"Duh. It's obvious you have a set, red-eyes."

"You seem more familiar with it than most people."

"I told you, I know a guy."

"What is his name?"

"I've the right to stay silent," Naruto snarked, not-so-secretly enjoying keeping the Uchiha out of the loop.

That, and knowing that Kakashi would not have been pleased if he found that he told a UPP officer about him.

Naruto forced himself to focus on the actual situation as they arrived in front of the door.

"'Maintenance'," the blond read on the faded sign. "Do you really think that-"

"Just get in."

"Alright, you're the guy with the gun after all," Naruto shrugged, turning the handle and opening the door with a rusty squeak.

They were immediately assaulted by the air leaving the room, carrying an awful, rotting smell along with it.

"Holy shit!" the blond yelled, stepping back while covering his nose and mouth. "What died in there?!"

The Uchiha didn't reply, visibly trying to not gag as he flickered the flashlight inside the room. Still clutching his nose, Naruto took a peek.

They were not able to see the whole room, but what they could see was in a better shape than the blond would've thought. The floor was a bit dusty, and there were a few cracks here and there, but all in all it was much better than his own bedroom back at home.

On the other end of the room he saw some lockers against a wall along with a long bench, a small desk tucked away in a corner, and a few chairs—but nothing that explained the horrible smell. No sounds came from inside, except the rapid scurrying of a rat startled by their intrusion, escaping into its nest.

Inwardly, Naruto felt the need to pray to the Sage that the cop wouldn't—

"You go in first," Sasuke said.

Well _of course_ he would, Naruto should've seen that coming. When had _anything _gone well on this job?

"Can I have a flashlight _now_?" he asked, and Sasuke tossed it to him with a note of disdain. Catching it by reflex, the runner slowly entered the dark room, still covering his nose with the free hand in a desperate attempt to stifle the stench.

The smell was stronger inside, as if it had started to stick to the walls of the place.

Naruto tried to ignore his nausea as he kept walking, the crunch of their boots being the only audible noise.

Looking around with the help of the light, he took in the details. Security posters for workers, a pile of mugs besides a small coffee machine, documents spread around on the desk... the place didn't look abandoned, but it was surely in bad shape, Naruto thought as he looked at a pair of dented lockers.

He turned as he heard a sudden click behind him, forgetting about the rows of closets only to see the Uchiha cop holding a phone handset.

"No line," Sasuke informed him as he let go of the phone.

"Weird," Naruto said, relaxing a little. "Shouldn't they be able to call a place like this?"

"The line may be damaged," the Uchiha said, pausing as he picked a stapled packet of documents from the desk. "These are only three days old."

"For real? Wait doesn't that means that people still _work_ here?" Naruto asked, looking around incredulous. "Why is this place so badly kept then?"

"I would be more concerned with where the workers are," Sasuke slowly said and Naruto listened to the sound of the switch being flicked up and down several times.

Despite the uneasiness in the pit of his stomach, he had to appreciate the sweet sound of an asshole getting frustrated.

"The lights are off, as well. Go check if the power cables are damaged."

"Can't we just leave?" the runner asked, "Maybe you didn't notice but it stinks in here."

"If there's a chance to call the surface, I'll take it."

"Oh yeah, so you can throw me in prison. That _really_ motivates me," he said sarcastically, obeying only because the alternative would've been doing it anyway, at gunpoint. Or being lectured about being technically under arrest, which would've been worse.

With the help of the flashlight, Naruto followed the cable slithering along the wall, almost stumbling on a fallen chair doing so.

"This place is a mess," he muttered, kicking a broken mug with his feet, sending it clattering on the floor. As he came closer to the rows of lockers, he could sense the smell becoming stronger.

He cupped his hand completely around his nose, to no avail. The mouldy scent had invaded his nostrils.

For the first time in his whole life, he wished he had an artificial sense of smell, just so he could turn it off.

He kept following the power cable—that was now at his shoulder height—and as he got past the lockers, he stopped when he saw a glint of metal.

Lodged in the wall, cutting the wires in two, was a fireaxe, its head covered in a dry whitish sludge.

Naruto felt a chill run through his spine but forced himself to move closer to check the discovery. He was pretty sure that an axe shouldn't be found like that in normal—

A sudden squelching noise made Naruto pause. He had stepped something and he could feel a slimy _something _under the sole of his boot.

Slowly, he lowered his gaze and the beam of light, feeling sweat forming on his brow.

He saw a rotting pale arm.

His mind tried to come to a stop—and failed spectacularly.

_Oh Sage, arm arm arm oh Sage shit why was there a fucking arm on the floor?!_

The blond wasn't sure how, but before he knew it he was against the lockers, a good two meters away from the hideous limb and he was trying to calm his breathing.

He didn't really care about the smell anymore, he couldn't stop pointing the flashlight at the lump of rotting meat.

"Why are you screaming, dumbass?" he heard Sasuke ask as the cop quickly approached him. "Can't stand the sight of a rat?"

"Lookatitlookatit!" Naruto pointed frantically, and the Uchiha slowly followed with his glowing eyes, being careful to not leaving the blond out of his sight.

"What's the matter?" Sasuke asked almost mockingly, even if it looked like he was on the verge of grimacing himself. "Never seen a severed limb in your 'line of work'?"

"I've never _stepped _on one!"

Without replying, the Uchiha walked towards the limb, briefly glancing at the axe. The runner noticed only then the folder of documents in the policeman's unarmed hand.

"Hey, what's that?" he asked, somewhat desperately attempting to divert his focus.

"Later," Sasuke replied, unzipping his UPP jacket and putting the folder inside it. With the documents safely tucked away, Sasuke turned, kneeling by the dismembered arm. "Give me more light here," he asked as he picked up the limb with his gloved hand.

Naruto obliged, only to realize of the whitish drops that were falling from it.

"Ugh, what's that stuff?" he asked with a grimace of disgust.

"It seems to be... blood," Sasuke observed, squeezing the flesh around the cut to make a few more drops trickle down.

"Wait, for real? But that's impossible! People don't have white blood!"

"This is not a person's arm."

"Eh?" Naruto said, cocking his head in confusion.

"It has no bones, and the flesh looks like... a hardened sponge," Sasuke said, bending the hand at an impossible angle to demonstrate. "Then there's the white color. Maybe it's a synthetic prosthesis..."

"It _squished _when I walked on it!" the blond protested. "Fake arms don't _squish_!"

"You would know that very well, wouldn't you?" the Uchiha asked with a pointed look of his red eyes before going back to examining the dark corners of the room.

"Well, I know that I don't have white—What are you looking at?" Naruto asked, noticing Sasuke's lingering gaze.

"Point the light there," the other man ordered, but there was something in the tone of his voice that made Naruto not argue with the request.

He moved the torch following the Uchiha's line of sight along the row of lockers until it lit up the far end.

Dried blood. Not white.

A giant brown stain practically redecorated the corner of the room previously hidden from the exit by the lockers. As if a person—or more—had exploded against it…

Or been _butchered_.

That wasn't the end of it though. A streak of it climbed up along the wall, in a way akin to a brush stroke and he kept following it.

He lingered with the beam when he saw the first hand-shaped stains. As if someone had been climbing the wall—or trying to grab something.

Finally, he reached the ceiling. A broken grate, similar to the one he and Sasuke had used to leave the elevator shaft was there. And the traces of blood disappeared through it.

"Can we get the fuck out of here now?" Naruto asked without looking away.

"Yes," Sasuke replied, letting go of the arm and turning towards him. "Yes we can."

* * *

Tenten checked her phone for calls once again, already knowing that there wasn't going to be any. Just as the police had started to disperse the crowd of curious bystanders, Shikamaru had called telling her to keep a low profile. To wait for him to form a plan.

So here she was, sitting in a small café and keeping a low profile as the smart guy had asked, her rifle hidden inside the large bag besides her seat. Waiting.

The place was actually pretty packed. Between the civvies and cops wanting to eat something after leaving the area of the "accident", it had been having a great day.

She pushed her bag further under her table as an UPP officer passed besides her, oblivious to her action. Maybe it was just paranoia, but paranoia had kept her alive so far.

Sighing, she dipped her blueberry muffin in the cheap coffee—although it was probably best to call it a chemically flavoured beverage that just resembled actual coffee, as the real thing was too expensive.

Giving the pastry a bite, she savored the flavour. Not as good as homemade, but not bad, even though she knew the snack was probably going to end on her hips.

She told herself to not care about it, though. You only lived once, after all.

Too bad they didn't have any sesame dumplings.

"I hope that stupid knucklehead is safe," she whispered, looking out of the window.

* * *

**A\N: In the last months I had a **_**huge**_** writer's block. Then I freed myself from it and started binge-writing because I wanted to end this story arc in a single chapter. **

**And I did. Kinda.**

**But it would've been an incredibly long chapter, almost as long as the rest of the previous ones combined.**

**So I decided to split it in two parts, but don't worry! The next chapter is already ready and will be posted in a manner of days!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I don't own Naruto. And neither do you. Probably.**

**Beta Readers: PyrothTenka, Ser Serendipity, Duesal Bladesinger, AlmostElectric.**

* * *

They were walking through yet another one of the tunnels, wary of any sound they heard.

Which was actually a lot, deep in the dark bellows of the sprawl above.

Distant noises of machinery, water dripping from leaking pipes, the echo of their own steps and other unknown sources seemed to work along with the shadows projected by the flashlight's beam with the only aim of unnerving them.

It had been a long and nerve-wracking walk after leaving that room, but ironically they had found what they needed.

A way out.

Or at least, a way to_ find _a way out.

"No wait," Naruto said, turning the large piece of paper in his hands. Its worn edges fluttered softly as he did so. "Maybe we should've turned left?"

"You're reading it upside-down. Again," Sasuke said in annoyance.

"Hey, who's the one with the freaking map?"

"I _read_ the map before giving it to you. We have to follow those," Sasuke said, indicating a pair of red pipes, "to reach the closest exit from these tunnels."

"Don't know why you gave it to me then," the blond grumbled, eye twitching in annoyance.

Sasuke just smiled mockingly for a second, but whatever reply he may have had was lost as a metallic creak echoed through the darkness.

Both swung around, startled by the sudden sound coming from the darkness behind them. Naruto pointing the flashlight, Sasuke his sidearm.

"You heard that?" the runner asked, whispering.

"It's just your imagination," the Uchiha replied, although he didn't look very convincing since he was still pointing the gun at the darkness.

"Yeah, right... bet those workers thought so too," Naruto muttered.

"Just keep walking," Sasuke growled, looking at him with his red eyes.

Their steps echoed through the tunnel, faster than they'd been moments before. The truth was that they were both on alert, glancing over their shoulders as they advanced assisted by the pale light of the flashlight.

Naruto had no idea how much time had passed but he still hoped to have enough time to ditch the cop, retrieve the package—somehow—and finish the job.

The fact that all the tunnels they had passed through so far were more or less the same and the pitch-black darkness around them didn't really help.

Even _he_ began to notice a few differences though. For starters, there were less cables running on the walls and the ceiling, bigger pipes had taken their place.

Some of said pipes were actually _leaking_, and the sound of dripping water could be heard around them. The air was much more humid because of this, and there were even a few puddles here and there.

Whatever the city used their taxpayers' money for, it obviously wasn't to repair _this_ part of its infrastructure.

Then the tubes they were following ended abruptly. Naruto was on the verge of expressing his disappointment—loudly—when he saw it. On the left side of the tunnel, in a small niche, a watertight door. Two inches of solid steel, covered in bumps and plates in a circular form, surrounding a large wheel of a handle.

"Here's your exit from this place," Sasuke said.

"How do you figure? There are no markings or signs."

"I saw the—"

"Yes, yes. You saw the map. Fine."

"Open it then."

Naruto gruffly obliged, turning the circular wheel with both his hands, after using his neck and shoulder to hold the flashlight. He gave it a big push, and the metal door slowly opened.

First difference he felt was the muffled roar in the distance, but for the life of him he couldn't understand what its origin was. Then there was the air, humid, almost wet air that flooded the maintenance tunnel, carrying a moldy scent with it.

A narrow scaffolding-like passage was right in front of him, right in front of a blackness void that his flashlight wasn't able to purge through.

"What is this place?" the blond asked as he took a peek inside, noticing the featureless concrete walls that seemed to give the place a cylindrical form.

"It's an underground reservoir," Sasuke replied, still in the tunnel. "The excess water is sent here in case of a flood."

"How is entering the sewers going to help us?"

"Drainage, not sewers. If we keep going up, we'll find an exit sooner or later. A grate, or a manhole."

"Great. I hope we won't have to walk through sewage," Naruto said as he took a step through the door, only to suddenly realize something.

The door was a thick layer of steel. He could try to quickly close it right in the Uchiha's face and go on his merry way as the cop shot at it. It wouldn't have been a difficult task with his augs.

There was only the problem of the bag. He needed that bag and there was no way that he would've been able to snatch it before the Uchiha opened fire on him _and_ close the door in time.

With a quick glance he saw Sasuke grinning smugly. He still had the advantage and he knew it.

Worse, he knew that _Naruto_ knew that he knew he knew.

Bastard.

He was really tempted to try it anyway just to give the brass a metaphorical middle finger—

His mutinous line of thought came to a full stop when he heard the echo of feet running on a wet floor, coming from the maintenance's tunnel depths.

Sasuke heard it as well, and he turned just enough to take a brief look of the darkness they had come from with his Sharingan.

His eyes immediately widened in shock.

A fraction of second later, the gun was no longer pointed at Naruto and a loud blast rang through the tunnel as he opened fire.

It had been so unexpected that Naruto instinctively stumbled forward, clashing against the railing. He grabbed the metal rail to regain his lost balance, staring at the map that had fell out of his hands as it slowly plunged into the darkness.

Another shot was heard, resounding in the colossal room.

Naruto turned towards the door just in time to see the Uchiha dash through it, pistol still smoking.

"Close the door!" Sasuke yelled, moving to the side in the little space he could, so to not be in the way.

The blond did as he was asked immediately, but it wasn't because the cop had ordered him to. It was because of the utter terror he could see in his eyes.

Pushing, he forced the metal door back in place. He caught a glimpse of a hulking figure with feral eyes right before shutting and locking it with a quick turn.

He had just let go of the handle when the banging started. It was a continuous flurry of slow blows… each powerful enough to bend the thick steel door outwards.

Following inhuman roars and sounds made the blond feel a shiver down Naruto's spine as he backed away from the door.

Naruto had no idea how long he remained there besides Sasuke, pressed against the railing to distance himself from the door—the only obstacle between this… _whatever _it was and them—and yet being unable to look away, or move.

Then, the attacks on the door ceased all of sudden, just as they had started. The only audible sounds were Naruto and Sasukes' breathing and the roaring water at the bottom of the cistern.

"What the hell was that?!" Naruto finally asked, turning towards Sasuke.

"I—I have no idea," the Uchiha admitted. "Some kind of animal. It _moved_ like an animal—"

"Well, we should be safe here. Right?" he asked in a doubtful tone.

"If it doesn't find another way to follow us."

"Can I have my gun back?" the blond dared to ask, being actually hopeful.

"No," Sasuke replied, scowling.

"Oh, come on!"

"Let's just keep going. Where is the map?"

"I—I lost it," he admitted, scratching the back of his head.

"You _lost _it? How—nevermind. Let's follow the walkway, it should lead us somewhere."

"Right. So… this way?" Naruto asked, indicating towards his left.

"Yes. After you," Sasuke said, gesturing him to go on.

It was nice seeing how their relationship was improving. Five minutes ago Sasuke would've used his gun to tell him to move along.

Luckily the walk was not very long this time. They quickly found a metal staircase that looked like it hadn't been used for years. Probably decades, judging by all the rust and the ruined paintjob.

It also kept going for quite some stories, each with its own walkway. How many, Naruto couldn't tell. The flashlight's beam didn't go that far.

In his opinion though, it was a miracle the whole structure hadn't collapsed under its own weight, really.

He gave an obvious look at the Uchiha, who sent him a glare in return.

With a sigh, Naruto tested the first step hoping that it wouldn't tear away like in those movies that Kiba enjoyed to watch.

Seeing that he wasn't falling to his doom and Sasuke seemed to be getting impatient, he started to go on. The sooner they got off this stairs, the better.

"So... why are you so obsessed with catching me?"

"Why are you so noisy? Shut up and climb."

"As if saying that worked before, Sasuke."

"I bet a bullet in your brainpan might."

"Oh my. That would be murder. I didn't imagine you as a dirty cop, Sasuke!"

"I wish you wouldn't imagine me as anything," Sasuke replied in disgust, before narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "And what do you know about dirty cops?"

"Well, duh. The city is full of them, no matter what company they work for."

"Says the crim—"

The cop was cut off as a figure landed in front of them on all fours, causing the whole stairway to vibrate and creak.

Its naked form was covered in grime and filth, and it could've looked almost human at first glance. Then Naruto noticed the spikes protruding randomly from its unnaturally pale skin and the yellow eyes.

Adding the fact that it started to sniff and hiss at him was a give deadway that this was far from normal. The fact that it didn't have any visible junk confirmed it.

"Is this what you shot at?" Naruto asked, not taking his eyes away from the thing.

"No," was the short and dry reply. The white creature slowly moved closer, descending the steps in front of them, still moving on his fours.

"Sasuke," he said, looking at the monster's limbs. "It's... it's like the arm we found in that room."

"I know," Sasuke replied, harsher than before.

"Sasuke, shoot him. Why haven't you shot him yet, Sasu—" Naruto said quickly, only to stop as he heard the Uchiha shuffling his weight and sounds of steps coming closer. "There are more coming from behind us, right?"

"Hn," Sasuke mumbled, taking aim.

Inwardly sighing at his rotten luck, the blond did what looked the best course of action.

He charged the hissing creature on the stairs, tackling it the best he could with only one free hand.

The thing was surprised at first but promptly reacted trying to claw at Naruto's face.

The blond slammed his flashlight on its face hard enough to daze it, just for an instant.

An instant was all Naruto needed to toss it off the railing with a yell.

At the same time, the loud boom of Sasuke's pistol resounded through the place once again.

"RUN!" the Uchiha yelled, and Naruto didn't have to be told twice.

The monsters didn't need an invitation to follow them in a cacophony of steps, howling shrieks and squeaking metal.

"What's your plan, red eyes?" he asked as he flew up the stairs, skipping steps in his hurry.

"We get through the first door we find and we shut it!" Sasuke said before pulling the trigger once again.

"I _like_ this plan!" Naruto agreed enthusiastically, dashing upwards.

As soon as they reached another walkway, they tried to go for it but the passage was quickly blocked as a new group of the white humanoids emerged from the darkness above them, climbing on it like spiders on a wall or landing with a cat-like grace.

Naruto dared to take a look back to the stairwell as alert signs started to show up in front of his eyes. _A lot _of them. It seemed that his systems had _finally_ recognized these things as a threat.

Better late than never.

"Just how many of them are there?!" he yelled in frustration. They were surrounded and the things were closing in.

"Quit wasting your breath and defend yourself!" Sasuke replied, and Naruto felt something being forcefully placed in his free hand.

He adjusted the grip against his pistol's handle and didn't waste time before putting it to good use.

The bullet hit the closest beast right in the middle of the chest, but it seemed to only be staggered by its blunt force and kept advancing, not minding the wound at all.

Naruto fired again, and again the only result was an oozing hole dripping whitish pus-like blood on the creature's wake.

"Why don't you _die_, ass—" he started to yell, being interrupted by the sound of thunder ringing in his ears as the creature's head exploded in a shower of pale goo, the body falling like a puppet with severed strings.

"Aim for their head," Sasuke calmly said, turning to face his own aggressors with precise and called shots.

"You've got to be kidding me…" Naruto muttered as he did as he was told, popping the head of one more white freak, killing it instantly. Now he felt like he had fallen in one of _Shino_'s favourite movies.

Turned out, watching those movies and actually living a similar situation were two very different things.

Fighting back to back in the dark against monsters that just kept coming at you, no matter how many you killed, _sucked_. There was also another problem that the movies—well, most of them—got wrong.

"How much ammo you got?" Naruto asked to the cop, issuing said problem.

"One more mag," Sasuke replied as he quickly replaced the spent magazine. "You?"

"Half. Maybe. Not enough for all of them."

"We have to make a break for it or we'll get swarmed," Sasuke reasoned, quickly retrieving his nightstick and using it to bash the cranium of a freak that had come too close.

"The door, or the stairs?" the blond asked.

"The stairs, there are less that way."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Naruto said as he activated the Kage Bunshin, sending the holograms charging into the horde in front of him. The monsters promptly attacked them, screeching in confusion as the holographic constructs dissolved in a drizzle of white hot sparks.

"Go, go go!" he cried out, dispatching another of the white humanoids before turning tail and running a little behind the Uchiha.

Sasuke was sprinting right into the monsters' ranks, dodging attacks with apparent ease and firing on the run. Each time he pulled the trigger, a bullet found its target in a highly efficient and bloody way. What he didn't shoot at, he hit with his nightstick, creating a path splattered with white goop that passed straight in the middle of pissed off, hungry-looking monsters.

Not having the Uchiha's targeting-boosting eyes but having to follow in his steps, Naruto was much less graceful, shooting on the mob hoping to find a good target or at least stagger them enough to be able to pass through.

All this, while having to spam the holograms on the horde that was chasing him, each one not surviving more than a second—but it was a second that the horde didn't spend trying to catch _him_.

He could see the stairway now, its rusted form barely reflecting the torch's light but in his eyes it could've been shining with the promise of salvation.

It was just a little ahead, but the forest of arms and screaming mouths around them had started to slow down their momentum just by sheer numbers.

Cursing loudly, he stopped to aim at one of the white guys close to Sasuke, hoping that the Uchiha could take care of the others and that the ones behind him were too distracted by his holograms to catch up.

Naruto found his target, pressed the trigger… and nothing happened besides a pathetic, metallic click.

"Fuck," he hissed, just before being startled by a howling shriek right behind him. He spun around, raising his left arm above his head, managing to block the incoming attack just by pure luck.

Now though, he was struggling to keep one of the monsters from tearing his face off with its teeth, and its friends seemed eager to join. His flashlight, held in his left hand, cast crazed shadows across the things pale face as it struggled to bite Naruto's nose off. The only clear thing were the hungry eyes of his attacker, two flat and malicious pools of yellow in its colorless face.

Naruto roared and whacked the creature's face with the now empty gun, enjoying the pained expression grunt he received. Naruto let his pistol go, grabbing the thing by its throat as his weapon cluttered somewhere on the walkway.

"Sasuke, get down!" he ordered as he turned to run towards his unwilling partner, carrying the struggling humanoid like a makeshift shield.

Then, he adjusted his grip on the monster and threw it.

The Uchiha's eyes widened but he did as he was told, ducking as Naruto's improvised weapon passed above him and scattering its brethren like bowling pins, either by knocking them on the ground or by startling them enough to make them back away.

The blond grabbed the policeman by his armpit and pulled him on his feet without stopping, running straight down the middle of path he had just created, kicking a white freak that was trying to get back on his feet on the chin just for good measure.

Only when they were running on the stairs again did Naruto let go of Sasuke, but not before giving the bewildered cop a smug grin.

As Sasuke fired his pistol at their closest chaser though—and scoring a kill shot, damn his eyes!—he started to inwardly grieving for the loss of his gun. Iruka had given it to him, after all.

"How many bullets left?" he asked, deciding to postpone the grief for a later date.

"Only three," was Sasuke's toneless reply. "You?"

"Lost my gun," Naruto admitted. If they had been in a less dangerous situation, he would have tried to look sheepish but somehow it didn't seem appropriate right now.

"You lost your gun?!" the cop asked, incredulous.

"I was out of bullets anyway!" he protested, following the stair's sudden turn.

"Just keep running!" Sasuke ordered, firing once more, this time to a closer target.

The body rolled down the steps, impairing or tripping some of the white freaks. Not that it mattered since they were gaining ground as a whole.

Only two bullets left.

If they were surrounded again, Naruto was sure that they were screwed. And Naruto didn't want to be devoured by probably flesh-eating mutants in a sewer!

He inwardly promised to give an offer to whatever god out there would let them find a door—

"There's the door!" Sasuke said, indicating the level just above them. It wasn't very visible because of the grate-like walkways, but there was a door there, just like one they had passed through, and it was just a few more flights ahead!

Naruto rejoiced, and hastened his steps while urging the Uchiha to do the same, hoping that his rotten luck didn't ruin everything again—by making the door a broken one for example.

They sprinted up the stairs and moved directly towards the closed watertight exit. He created a few more holograms hoping to gain some time, even if he could feel the subcutaneous implants starting to overheat. The blond ignored it and kept going, the Uchiha right besides him.

Once the two had _finally_ reached the door Naruto didn't waste time and immediately grabbed the handle, turning it as fast as he could. At the same time, another shot was fired from Sasuke's pistol.

Only one bullet left.

As soon as he felt the lock opening, he pushed the door with a yell that overshadowed the monsters screeches, stumbling in the room—only to be blinded by incredibly bright lights.

Naruto tried to shelter his eyes with his free hand, and then chaos ensued.

One moment he was standing, the next he had been tackled from behind and pushed to the ground.

Before he could try to free himself from his attacker, the roar of automatic fire thundered all around, a storm of bullets darting above him followed by the noise of torn flesh.

His "attacker" kept him pressed yet harder to the floor instead of trying to eat him and Naruto realized that Sasuke had just saved his life—then something cold was splattered on his back.

The smell was horrible.

As soon as it had started, the onslaught ceased, the sound of shell casings falling on the ground being the last note of it before the sudden silence.

"Sound One, status?" a mellow and yet cold voice asked after a long and tense pause.

"Sensor shows the hostiles retreating. We're clear. Sir," was the quick reply, although the last word was added with a little hesitation, almost like if the person was reluctant to use it.

Naruto had no idea who these people were, but he didn't want to risk making any sudden movements that could earn a burst of bullets in his general direction. Still, he couldn't resist the idea of taking a peek. Slowly, of course.

He was sure that Sasuke was doing the same thing.

The room—or tunnel, Naruto wasn't sure—was still dark, but the lights attached to the weapons of the six people lined up in front of him and Sasuke were enough to see clearly now that they were not pointed at his face.

They were dressed in gray combat gear, their faces completely hidden by visorless helmets sporting various lens and optics. Most of them had heavy armour and were armed with assault rifles and other specialist equipment. The big one—a hulking man that could probably dwarf Choji—was carrying a machine gun with ease, thanks to the special harness he was wearing.

The blond really doubted that amateurs would carry such toys.

"Sound Two, Sound Four, close that door," the one in the middle said—the same cold and soft voice that had spoken first. The leader—before gesturing towards them. "Sound Five, check them."

The three soldiers on the right walked towards them, avoiding their companions' line of fire, which was still pointed towards Naruto and Sasuke's prone forms.

One of them, the thinner one, stopped besides them and knelt while forcefully placing his weapon's barrel against the base of Naruto's neck. The other two kept walking instead, and disappeared from Naruto's more or less restricted view.

"Try to do anything, _trash_, I dare ya," the kneeling soldier said, the voice clearly feminine even if muffled by the helmet.

A hand started to search him, but at least this time it was a woman's hand. He was sure that the woman in question would have reacted badly to a mocking answer, so he did his best to keep his mouth shut.

She quickly finished checking him—not surprisingly since he didn't have much on him besides his clothes—and quickly moved over, to do the same to Sasuke.

In the corner of his eye, the blond could see how the Uchiha was quickly disarmed—not that one single bullet would've helped. Then the radio was torn from the cop's uniform, as well as Naruto's bag.

Fuck.

Behind him, he could hear the two other men's grunts and soft thuds as he assumed they cleared the entrance of monsters that had been felled on the door's step. They would've made it difficult to close the door otherwise.

"I killed more than you," one of them snickered in a satisfied tone before another thump was heard, confirming the blond's assumption.

"You _wish_, Kidomaru—" the other replied with a scoff. Naruto passively noticed that he had a voice eerily similar to the one that had been called 'Sound One' but didn't dwell on it. It wasn't important right now.

"Stick to your callsigns," the leader said, his voice full of reprimand. Naruto could feel the scowl behind the sealed helmet.

"Sure, sure. Whatever," the one named Kidomaru replied as he closed the door. Even without looking at his expressionless helmet Naruto could tell he was rolling his eyes.

"So, are these freaks what we're looking for?" the one behind them asked, letting go of the remains he had just moved, which landed right besides of Naruto with a weak plopping sound. It was a mass of whitish meat and torn muscles, mangled to the point that it was barely recognizable as a humanoid figure.

As it landed, it sprayed a little of its blood on the runner's already defiled clothes. He really hoped this stuff washed out. In case he survived, of course.

The leader came closer and examined it for a brief moment before slowly shaking his head. "No, these things have nothing to do with our target."

Naruto noticed a symbol sewn on the figure's attire: a single musical note. Weird choice for what looked like a paramilitary unit but who was he to judge?

"Where did they come from then?" the big one, the heavy weapon guy asked.

"Who cares?. More target practice," Kidomaru snickered cruelly, already enjoying the idea.

"What do we do with these two fuckers?" the woman asked, as she examined the bag.

Naruto exchanged a quick glance with Sasuke, hoping that the cop had some bright idea to get out there in one piece. Sadly, he quickly realized that the Uchiha had thought the same thing. It would've been funny if his life wasn't on the line.

"We could use them for bait—Wait a second," the guy with the sensor, Sound One, said as he looked at Sasuke. "This guy is a cop!"

"Not just a cop," the leader's cold voice said in the stunned silence. "Look at his uniform. He's with the Uchiha Private Police."

At that, the whole group attention's was on Sasuke, who looked at him in a tense silence.

"Shit. Do you think they're on us, sir?" the woman asked.

"Improbable," was the calm reply. "This is a secret operation and—"

"Why bother with that?" one of the soldiers said, sounding bored. "We should kill both of these coppers and get going with the mission."

"Hey, I'm not a cop!" Naruto quickly told them, hoping to not sound too pathetic.

"I don't think they care," the only actual cop in the room said drily.

"Oh shut up Sasuke! I can try!" he said, locking eyes with the Uchiha one more time.

"Sasuke?_ Sasuke Uchiha_?" the boss said, walking right in front of Sasuke and staring at him. "Itachi's brother?"

The question caused an even more tense silence than the previous one.

"Holy shit. He is! He's that psycho's brother!" the machine-gun guy said. The way he said it almost sounded like awe , for some reason.

"Hey, what's so special about Itachi Uchiha? I feel a little out of the loop here!" Naruto asked.

Sasuke looked his way, an expression of disbelief in his still active eyes. It would've been satisfying in different circumstances. Not that he cared about the bastard's famous brother, he just wanted to gain time to find a way out.

"Not sure about the dumb blond," the one that had thrown the corpse said, cleaning its gloves on his pants and completely ignoring Naruto's question. "Still, the boss may be interested in—"

"Sound Two. Be quiet," the leader interrupted his chatty subordinate. "This decision is above our pay pay grade."

"Well then, our mighty leader, what are we supposed to do now?" the woman asked, still struggling with the bag's lock.

Yeah, good luck with that.

"We follow protocol. I'm breaking radio silence," the chief said without hesitation before tapping his helmet where his ear would've been. "HQ, this is Sound Actual from the area of operations. We—"

Whatever he wanted to tell them, it was lost as a loud cry was heard, barely dulled by the thick door.

The soldiers immediately snapped to attention, weapons ready as the sound echoed for a few more seconds.

Naruto's hair suddenly stood on end, his already tense body jerking slightly. He recognized that sound: it was the thing that had been at the head of the whole horde.

"Seems like we finally found Juu—" the big guy chucked, only to be interrupted by the voice of the sensor guy.

"Sir!" sensor guy called, his attention completely on the device in his left hand. "I have movement, fifty meters and closing in."

"Is that our target?" the man with the same voice chimed in.

"No it's not big eno—more contacts. Multiple directions, thirty meters."

It seemed that the horde was back, and judging by the beeps coming from the motion tracker, they had brought friends. Naruto was not worried though. These guys had enough firepower to start a corporate war—at least the part with actual violence. His only concern was how to get back his bag—now strapped around the crude woman's shoulder.

Sasuke was probably doing the same about his radio, which was ironically secured on the bag's straps. After all, if these guys were able to call their bosses, why wouldn't he?

"Aah, great. More stinky mutants." she said, securing her grip on the rifle.

"Let them come. More stuff to kill," the one called Kidomaru said. The more Naruto heard him, the less he liked his attitude.

"Get ready, I want a firing formation on the door," was the order given by the cold commander. Apparently talking with the HQ could wait until later, when there were no monsters around. "Sound Five, watch our sixs."

"What about the prisoners sir?"

"Move them in the back. If they do anything against the squad," he said, looking straight in their eyes and Naruto could swear that his tone had become even more chilling, "act accordingly."

"You heard the man shitheads, move!" she ordered them, gesturing to get up. Naruto could see a pattern in the overall day.

The soldiers started to move back from the door and the blond realized that they were in a tunnel similar to the ones he and Sasuke had spent so much time. While he and the Uchiha were dragged at gunpoint, the soldiers assumed firing positions or covered their comrades.

"Sit there and don't do anything stupid," Sound Five ordered and since she had been given the order to 'act accordingly', Naruto obeyed immediately. Even if he didn't like to. Just to ensure his survival, he dragged Sasuke down by tugging his sleeve.

At least he was smart enough to not protest.

A metallic sound caught his attention and turning towards the squad, he saw some spider-shaped droids detaching themselves from Kidomaru's backpack—which was not a backpack at all, apparently.

The automated weapons, each big as a cat, started to move along the nearby wall and the ceiling, a small gun barrel visible on their 'heads'.

Oh great. More guns to escape from.

"Fifteen meters, right in front of us," sensor guy informed.

"They're right outside of the door—"

"Twelve meters," was the quick update. The soldier looked away from the sensor in his hand, then back at it, looking puzzled.

"What?" the soldier manning the machine gun asked, sounding incredulous. "That can't be right."

"Ten meters... I-I don't get it—"

"Are you blind?" the man that had the same voice of his teammate said. "You're reading it wrong."

"It's what the damn thing is saying!" Sound One replied, shaking the motion sensor like if that was supposed to fix it.

"Give me that—" not-sensor guy said, trying to reach for it.

"Cut it out, you two—"

A clang echoed in the tunnel. All the lights moved towards its origin. All, besides the one on the woman's rifle, which remained pointed at the two captives.

A vent had fallen down the ceiling, quickly followed by one of the monsters—or mutants, if that was what they were—that landed right in the middle of the hallway.

And was promptly turned into white chunks by the concentrated fire.

Then more vents, pipes and grates were opened and they started to come out of the walls.

Total chaos ensued.

The squad had good equipment and good training though, and reacted as people were supposed to when being swarmed by a mass of chunky white mutants: laying down a massive barrage of firepower on the horde.

The machine gun was obviously dominating the field, its bursts passing through multiple freaks and tearing large holes in their bodies.

The spider drones—Naruto couldn't tell if they were being directed by their owner or not—opened fire on the ones moving along the walls instead, while the soldiers took care of the lucky survivors or the ones that were moving on the sides.

They were a little overzealous though, yelling, laughing and using more ammo than was—

"Don't waste ammunition," the leader ordered. Ah good, he had noticed as well. "Shorter bursts."

They all complied—some grudgingly, most reluctantly—and the next targets were eliminated by more precise and coordinated shots.

The tunnel in front of the squad was basically tinted white now, remains in various degrees of wholeness covering it.

Yet more were coming.

"How many of those fuckers are down here?" the woman—Naruto decided to call her Potty Mouth—yelled to nobody specific.

"Funny," the blond snickered. "I asked the same thing."

"Oh shut up you—"

"They're not attacking," Sasuke said from his sitting position. "They're fleeing."

"What?" Naruto and Potty Mouth asked in confusion. Watching more carefully the monsters that kept arriving, he realized that the cop was right.

The beasts were trying to get out of their holes as fast as possible, and most of them were bolting away from the fight. It seemed that the ones that were 'attacking' the squad were actually just moving in their direction by mere chance, or their fight-or-flight instincts kicked in as they realized they were in danger.

What could scare a whole horde of these things that had chased him and Sasuke so—

The furious roar was heard again, closer this time. Then the pounding at the door started.

"He's here," the team leader said and his voice was clearly hearable even in the cacophony of battle.

If the monsters had seemed to move in a panic before, the sudden arrival of the bigger threat sent them in a hysteric frenzy.

The ones still inside the vents or pipes started to carve their own way out, not caring if they were wounding themselves by doing so. The ones already out of them... they charged all at once.

It was then that the heaviest weapon went silent.

"Shit, I'm out!" the machine gunner yelled.

"Oh, fucking great," Potty Mouth grumbled. "Hurry up and reload, fatso!"

"Quit bitching and _cover_ me, Tayuya!" said fatso yelled, detaching his weapon's empty drum. The pounding at the door was louder now that the machine gun was silent.

Oh, so her name was Tayuya. Naruto supposed that the team leader was too busy dealing the crazy monsters to comment about how the big guy didn't use her callsign.

"The _team_ is covering you, don't be a baby just because your toy is out of—"

"Get ready," Sasuke whispered in Naruto's ears.

Another pounding, and this time it sounded like thunder because the door had been ruptured from the wall. Heavy steps reverberated through the tunnel as a massive, hulking beast-like figure with feral eyes and a mane of orange hair entered into it.

"Cripple him. Fire at will," the highest-ranking soldier ordered.

Then, the chaotic scene descended in total anarchy.

The newcomer let out another roar and charged through the white monsters' ranks, as the soldiers shot against it without caring about conserving bullets, opening holes in its limbs.

It didn't care.

The horde was total disarray and the monsters were fleeing in every direction they could, as long as it was away from the giant creature. The stragglers that got too close to the soldiers were put down by the spider drones, who were still firing with cold efficiency.

It was clear that the giant would not be stopped in time.

"OH, SHIT!" Tayuya yelled, forgetting about Sasuke and Naruto and aiming her rifle at the newcomer.

Big mistake.

A mistake upon which Naruto and Sasuke capitalized, springing up at the same time.

The blond tackled her, while the Uchiha grabbed her weapon and elbowed her in the face—well, armored face but still it was a case of police brutality in his eyes—for good measure.

Naruto grabbed his bag by the strap and gave her a not-so-gentle push as he retrieved it, slamming her hard against the opposite wall with a grunt.

Normally such an action would've been suicide. The rest of the soldiers\operatives\mercenaries\whatever would've just turned towards them and gunned them down.

But since a giant juggernaut was being so kind as to body-slam itself against the machine gunner while howling loudly enough to put a crazed gorilla to shame, and the white freaks had _finally _realized that the tunnel was not a good place to be and were running back to their hideouts or dying trying, said soldiers\operatives\mercenaries\whatever were busy trying not to become lunch. It was now or never.

"Come on Naruto, we're leaving!" Sasuke yelled above the ensuing chaos.

The blond didn't need to be told twice. He didn't care about the shouts, the growls, the fat guy protecting his head from the beating, or his comrades trying to help him.

He did what he had done since the start of this shitty day. He started to run—

In the middle of the pandemonium, the shots didn't surprise him. The stray bullets, far too close for comfort, did.

Glancing back, he saw Tayuya still against the wall. Her helmet had come off, but in the dim light the only thing Naruto noticed was the pistol trained on him.

As Naruto was sure that the next shot wouldn't miss, the woman was hurled against the wall one more time, as one of her teammates collided with her—the blond wasn't sure which soldier it was—thrown by the creature that was venting its rage on the rest of the team.

The shot went wild, not coming anywhere close to him. There were curses and insults while someone yelled for help as he tried to subdue the monster.

It was then that the machine gun started to fire again.

Naruto turned his head towards Sasuke, who was just a little ahead of him in the dark hallway, and kept running.

They both ran, turning at the first intersection not caring about their destination, as long as it was away from there.

They kept running even when the battle had faded to silence behind them.

* * *

Finally, they were forced to stop to catch their breath.

They were in a corridor, a smaller one with less signs of decay. Less cables, too.

Sasuke could feel his lungs burning, his muscles aching, his heart pumping like it wanted to burst. He was bruised, soaked in sweat, covered in white goo and the strain of keeping his eye implants active for all so long was giving him a _very_ annoying headache.

And that was just covering the physical part of the whole experience. One had to consider the fall down an elevator shaft, the attack from the security bots, being gassed, being lost in the Underlevels, being attacked by a mutant with a temper, chased by a pack of _other _mutants, ambushed by what looked to be a black ops cover team and having to escape from the fight between said soldiers, the horde of mutants and the _other _mutant.

All of this with an incredibly annoying—and dangerous—cyborg with shady connections _at best_.

Which, in light of certain events and his reaction at hearing _that man's_ name may not have been connected to his case at all. Or at least put in doubt the relation between that man and a runner ring.

Which would mean that he had wasted months of investigations behind the company's back.

To say it simply, Sasuke Uchiha had a hard day's work and he was pissed.

The major cause of his ailment was currently sitting on the ground in front of him, back turned.

The runner—Naruto seemed to be a little less weary than him, but if he was augmented to such extremes like he claimed that was not surprising.

Sasuke had no idea why he had remained with him during their escape. In hindsight, the blond could've tried to run away from him in the ensuing chaos.

It probably was to have a better chance of survival. Strength in numbers and more importantly Sasuke had a rifle. And the flashlight attached to said rifle.

Strangely enough, Naruto seemed to care more about his bag. Sasuke supposed that it made sense. Not because of some sort of professional duty or anything like that.

It was just a matter of payment. No bag, no payment.

"How does this stupid thing even work?" the blond muttered, catching Sasuke's attention.

The Uchiha inwardly cursed himself for getting distracted by his fatigue. He was alone in the company of a criminal that could rip a robot's head with his bare hands, and he took his eyes off of him!

Naruto was still turned away from him, hunched over as if he was examining something and it clearly wasn't the bag.

Warily, Sasuke slowly moved around him, remaining out of the runner's arm reach and keeping the rifle ready, if not pointed directly at him. His eyes widened when he realized what the blond was holding.

It was his radio.

"Give it," he ordered. His voice caused Naruto to freeze like a statue. "Now."

"What? This again?" the blond asked in a bored tone, turning his head towards him. "I swear, this day is repeating itself—"

"You idiot," Sasuke hissed, raising his weapon slightly. "Give me that radio or I will—"

"Fine, fine," Naruto muttered, throwing the device towards the Uchiha, almost carelessly.

Sasuke caught it swiftly, thanks to his enhanced reflexes and the Sharingan eyes predicting the trajectory in real-time. Puzzled, he blinked.

How come Naruto was not trying to resist? How come he hadn't tried to run as he was distracted?

"What's the catch?" he asked suspiciously, putting the radio back on his uniform. If he had been in the runner's shoes, he would've tried to overpower him as soon as he had been able to.

"No catch, I give up," the blond said, taking his bag and pushing it in the space between the two of them. "Here, as evidence. You win. Just get me out of here."

Sasuke wasn't sure what to say, when the Sharingan advised him that the blond's legs were moving, trying to assume a position optimal for a pounce. The Uchiha frowned. _This_ was his attempt.

"Nice try," he said, aiming the assault rifle against the runner's head and switching to auto fire. "Step back towards the wall. Face it. Hands on the head."

Naruto paused, before frowning back as he realized that Sasuke had realized his game. Slowly, he crawled towards the wall before doing as he had been ordered to.

Sasuke's finger had been on the trigger the whole time.

He waited a few seconds, and as the Sharingan assured him that the blond was not trying any movement, he opened a channel.

"Dispatch, this is unit seven, come in," he called. "Dispatch, this is unit seven, I request—"

"Unit seven, this is dispatch," a young voice answered. "Where the hell did you go?"

"Chasing a suspect. I require assistance. I—"

"Unit seven, what's your status?" he was asked.

"In the Underlevels, on foot. Location unknown," Sasuke quickly said.

"What about the suspect?" the voice asked slowly. "Did he escape?"

"No, I managed to capture him." he answered, eyes still pointed on Naruto. "I don't have the means to restrain him adequately though. I require an extraction and assistance in taking the prisoner back to—"

"Roger, unit seven," the dispatcher interrupted him. "We're triangulating your position now. Keep the channel open and stand by for instructions to reach a rendezvous point. Over."

"Copy that, Dispatch," Sasuke breathed in relief. It was almost over. "Unit seven out."

Doing as instructed, Sasuke saw clearly how Naruto was stiff, like he wanted to do _something_ but he couldn't. Smiling smugly, the Uchiha picked up the bag, already thinking forward to interrogating the runner about all his connections and contacts.

Hopefully, he would find something that would get him closer to Itachi.

* * *

The bulwark door was pushed open by the inside, throwing away some of the trash that had been accumulated on it.

Naruto walked out of its cellar-like entrance, his hands back behind his head already.

Sasuke was right behind him, the weapon still locked on the blond's back. The runner had not said a word since the contact with the company by radio, not even to protest the orders given to him.

It seemed that when he realized that it was over for him, Naruto had ditched the playful facade.

The Uchiha inhaled deeply, relieved to have finally left that awful place. It reeked of smog and decomposing garbage, but it was the surface. Finally, they had reached the surface. No more mutants hunting them in the dark.

It was a dirty back street, with overflowing or broken dumpsters. Short and stocky buildings were the only visible things, their walls covered by graffiti. The grey and cloudy sky was clearly visible, meaning that it was not close to the multi-leveled downtown districts. Somewhere in the distance, a pair of stray dogs barked.

If Sasuke had to take a guess, it was somewhere in the western side of the sprawl where most of the industries were. Not the best part of the city, but not the worst one either.

He had followed the instructions up until this point, and they had been very precise and efficient so far.

Sasuke was supposed to meet the backup here, Yet, the alley was empty.

There should've been a van. A wagon. A patrol car. An officer. Anything!

"You," he said to Naruto. "Go against the—"

"Yeah, yeah. Go against the wall," the blond interrupted, rolling his eyes as he walked towards the closest defaced surface and leaning against it, face-first. "You've got a thing for those, don't you?"

Sasuke sneered. It seemed that the clown didn't ditch his idiotic antics after all.

"Dispatch, here's unit seven," he said, opening the radio channel. "I've reached the rendezvous point. I can't see the reinforcements, over."

There was no reply though, and the radio remained silent.

"Dispatch, come in. Where is the—" he quickly repeated, only to stop on his tracks when he noticed that Naruto was looking at him with the corner of his eyes, smiling smugly.

Why was he smiling?

Something cluttered down the alley. Sasuke's instinctively turned with the weapon ready, managing to keep Naruto in his field of vision just because his common sense kicked in.

A dog was right in the middle of the street, a few meters from him.

It was standing still, his eyes fixed on Sasuke as if to study the cop's intentions, the body stiff and the tail erected.

Sasuke hesitated. He had always considered himself a cat person, but judging from the bristled fur and what he remembered about the K9 section, the stray dog was not in a friendly mood.

And while he had to keep his eyes on Naruto, he didn't want to startle it.

It was still a predatory animal almost as big as a bike.

Was it even a stray?

The dog suddenly started to bark, the sound echoing in the alley.

Sasuke took a step back, aiming the rifle at the now growling dog. He didn't want to kill it, but if he had to defend himself—

Naruto turned towards him, his hands no longer on the back of his head and a shit-eating smile was plastered on his face.

Alarmed, the Uchiha forgot completely about the dog and quickly changed his target.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he asked. Where the hell was the pickup?

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the blond said, gesturing towards the weapon with a eyebrow cocked.

Before Sasuke could answer, there was a blur on his left, followed by a metal clank. His head snapped in that direction, but he kept the rifle on the blond—

And he found himself looking at a young man that was crouched on a dumpster, pointing two submachine guns pointed. While growling.

Two. Not one, two. That was what his mind was trying to wrap around, not the sudden appearance.

Who the hell used two automatic weapons at once, unless their limbs were augmented or—

Black leather jacket. Animal-like movement and behaviour. Dog of unusual size close by. Slitted eyes. Red tattoos on the face.

Inuzuka.

Oh, that explained the two SMGs.

Had they entered his territory or—?

"Naruto," the member of the infamously feral gang said, not looking away from Sasuke's eyes. "You smell like shit."

"Save it, dog-breath," the blond yelled, before grimacing at his clothes, still covered in semi-dried in white patches. "I'm afraid I'll have to _burn _these..."

Naruto knew the Inuzuka. Great. Just great.

Where the _hell_ where those other cops?!

Sasuke's mind raced for a way out of this. He could duck, avoiding—maybe—the rain of bullets from the gang member, kill him, then roll to shoot at the mutt that would surely try to go for his throat, and then he would've to deal with—

"Hey Sasuke!" Naruto called, catching Sasuke's attention once again. "Before you think of doing anything stupid, look up."

After watching the blond pointing somewhere above them, he did so, unable to not see what else was in store with him.

There was someone sticking out of one of the building's roof.

Sasuke couldn't distinguish the person's features, since he—she?—had positioned himself with the light on his back. He could clearly see the scoped rifle pointed at him, though.

An ambush. Naruto had managed to organize an ambush.

Sighing, he lowered his own weapon and closing his eyes to deactivate his Sharingan. There was no way out of this.

"How—"

"I changed your radio's frequency before giving it back to you," Naruto said, walking slowly towards him. "Lucky me, one of my friends is quick to figure things out."

"You're just lucky that this guy didn't check it before calling," the Inuzuka said, barking a laugh.

"Way to ruin my awesome moment, Kiba! Anyway, I'm gonna need this," Naruto muttered, pouting as he yanked his bag away from Sasuke. He actually pouted. With an armed, potentially hostile person in front of him.

The inspector back at the district was right: runners were crazy. Sasuke was tempted to shoot him just to teach him a lesson. For that, and for having outsmarted him.

"Oh, right. I almost forgot," the blond added, taking the radio off the Uchiha uniform, which disappeared in one of Naruto's pockets. "Can't have you calling your buddies on the _right_ channel, right? At least until we're not away from here."

Sasuke blinked, not sure if he had heard it right.

"Hey man, are you sure about this?" the Inuzuka asked, sounding uncertain. "After all, he's a cop."

Sasuke wanted to groan. The only person that was making sense was a spliced ganger that was gunning at him. Scratch what the inspector said: the _world_ was mad.

"He saved my life," Naruto said, with a sudden serious tone. "And I saved his."

There was a long and tense silent moment as the blond stared at the Inuzuka, his eyes not wavering.

"Fine," the gang member sighed, and Sasuke sighed in relief. Inwardly, of course.

"I'm going to keep this as well, tough!" Naruto yelled suddenly, pulling the assault rifle out of Sasuke's hands, raising up as if to show it to the person on the rooftop for some reason.

The change in the blond's behaviour had been so sudden that Sasuke was starting to wonder if some gear was missing inside his head. Literally.

"Come on, let's go. I'm hungry," Naruto said, patting the Inuzuka on the shoulder and starting to walk away.

"Good idea," the feral man said, jumping off the dumpster, his weapons disappearing into his jacket. The dog followed, jogging behind his master. "You owe me _at least_ a beer for this."

Naruto nodded, but Sasuke was not looking at him. He was looking at the sniper that was still keeping him on his sights, as if daring him to try anything.

"Hey, do you really wanna go around with that in plain view?" the Inuzuka asked, pointing at Naruto's new rifle.

"Of course not!" he answered indignantly. "Do you happen to have a sack, or something where I can—"

"Wait," Sasuke called. The two men and dog trio stopped, and Sasuke didn't need that the Sharingan to notice how the sniper had tensed at the sudden cry.

"What is it?" Naruto asked, sounding genuinely curious. "I'm a little late for my job you know?" he added, patting the bag on his side. "So, if you don't mind…"

"At least tell me what you know about Itachi Uchiha," Sasuke asked.

"Dude," Naruto grimaced a little, "I said that I don't know him to those guys, remember?"

"What guys?" Kiba asked, puzzled.

"Not now, Kiba," the blond muttered, before turning towards the Uchiha again. "I don't know who this Itachi is. Besides that he is your brother, I mean. And I learned that today."

Sasuke could just stare at the blond in silence, unable to formulate a reply. Somehow, deep inside him, he knew that he was not lying.

It had been all for nothing.

"So, uhm… sorry?" Naruto said awkwardly, before turning away and resuming to walk. "See ya!" he called, before disappearing from the alley along his companion and pet.

Sasuke could only stare.

It had been all for nothing.

Months interrogating suspects, asking questions, ignoring orders to stop asking said questions, piecing clues together and confronting them with the data available on the underworld.

Wasted.

He kept staring even after the sniper left, now sure that the cop would've not been able to do anything.

It was only then that Sasuke allowed himself to lose his temper and yell in frustration, while kicking a dumpster.

It had been all for nothing.

* * *

**A\N: In case you can't tell, I hated the last two chapters. Not because I didn't have fun writing them but only because I started working on them during the holidays and then I suffered a massive writer's block in the middle of them, and wasn't able to write anything for months.**

**Anyway, I hope you liked it !**

**Silly, not-part-of-the-story omake:**

"No, no no. This is no good at all," the wizened old man said, above the sound of munching mouths.

The wizened man was walking up and down in his sanctuary, down in the darkest levels of the sewers under the massive city.

The fact that he was actually walking may have surprised anyone who would've looked at his frail form. Heck he should've died decades ago, actually. At the very least, for the lack of vitamin D.

Instead, maybe because of all the pieces of technology planted inside his body, maybe because of a few nice genetic procedures he had undergo back in the days, he was still breathing and kicking.

His mind though, wasn't still the same as a time. Too much time spent in the dark, with no human contact, can do this to a man.

"We already talked about this! You're supposed to eat the pizza. The _pizza_, not the _deliveryman_!"

One of the chalk-white creatures, the one sporting a roughly cut purple bandana that seemed on the verge of falling at any moment, raised his blood-stained muzzle and screeched at the man that was interrupting his and his brethren's meal.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Donnie!" the man said in a reprimanding tone.

'Donnie' just ignored him and went back to gorging on the man's guts.

The various pizzas scattered on the floor remained completely ignored.


End file.
